As Time Passes
by Aiko-chan3
Summary: **FINALLY UPLOADED!!** As Enishi unexpectantly enter the lives of the Kenshin-gumi, and Soujiro meets Misao, find out how a new romance and deep mystery evolves...
1. A fresh new start

As time passes  
  
Chapter 1 - A fresh new start  
  
**Hi there to you all reading this! A billion thanks for your interest, I really appreciate it =) However, a note that my story is manga based, so there may be some characters not present as in the anime. But anyway, hope you guys enjoy it!**  
  
Kenshin laid on lush greens by the pond and looked at the starry skies, as Kaoru hugged closer to him under his warm and comforting arm. The fresh atmosphere surrounded the couple whilst fireflies danced atop the still water, beautifying the place with their soft glow. None said a word yet for the peace that was present was enough to leave them breathless in appreciation. Such quiet moments together was what they had longed for, where the fighting and hurting had come to a rest, leaving bliss behind to be thoroughly enjoyed. A year has passed since Kaoru was rescued, a fresh new start had begun.  
  
"Thank you," Kenshin whispered close to her ear. "Thank you for happiness when I'm with you."  
  
Kaoru looked up at him surprised, then smiled. "Thank you...for you." She laid her head on his warm chest as he lovingly wrapped his arms around her. Nothing else mattered for they were together.  
  
'This time being it forever.' Kenshin vowed in his thoughts.  
  
Under the moonlit night of spring with no disturbance, the two lovers slept with truly, sweet dreams.  
  
**  
  
"Two more beers, please!" chorused two drunkards in a corner of the restaurant. Tsubame came in a hurry from attending other customers, and brought two large ceramic bottles to them. She looked worriedly at the younger one as she poured into his cup already stretched out in front of her.  
  
"Yahiko, haven't you had enough? Please don't drink too much!"  
  
He was definitely not sober and has gone to the point of puking out any moment. Which he did, unfortunately, on Sano, who shouted with rage in response. The volume of alcohol Yahiko drank were nothing compared to what would make him drunk. "You can't even hold a candle to me, you idiot!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Don't let me whack you!" Yahiko said subconsciously, before emptying what he ate for dinner...and lunch. Tsubame chuckled for an instant, then quickly rushed to get some hot tea to lessen his intoxicated effect. Sano was in a joyous mood that day, hence did not brawl too much in fury or add a few bumps to Yahiko's spiky head. From the usual visit to Megumi's clinic that afternoon, his right fist had been completely healed, ridding an anxiety when using that fist to strut the attack he was proud of. Just when his tolerance had reached it's peak, in came through the sliding doors, his saviour.  
  
"I knew you guys would be here," smiled Megumi, heading to where they were sitting, nevertheless bringing her medicine box with her, as she did everywhere she went. "Where's Kenshin and Kaoru?"  
  
"Having their own quiet time," Sano answered, but still not acknowledging her presence here, not bothering to make a space for her to sit. That is, until she pulled his ear and twisted it.  
  
"Is that how you show your gratitude, baka?" she warned before releasing her victim in a state pain, much accompanied by cursing. It was late into the night as the restaurant was about to close, hence after much persuading, Tae and Tsubame joined them for supper, relaxing from their work after a long hard day. The 'happy' reunion scene was much deserved of, after what everyone had gone through. Life went by each day as usual, but fulfilled with hope and joy, for the worst was over as they knew it. The laughter and smiles filled the air, going beyond the cellings and walls of Akabeko.  
  
Deep in the dark of half-past three they bid each other farewell, Sano being the one to send Megumi home. Yahiko grinned at the scene of them walking together, but trying to keep a distance apart. He knew their relationship was developing and moving further out of being just friends. But judging how they usually treat each other was an amusing sight, leaving it quite impossible for them to be a couple. He shook his head and shrugged the matter away, waving goodbye to Tsubame and Tae and heading home to the dojo.  
  
Thanks to the tea Tsubame brought, he regained sense, but felt the night was still too young. Something told him Kenshin and Kaoru would not be at home yet, so it wouldn't worry them if he came back late. The growling in his stomach convinced him to walk in the direction of a stand-by ramen shop by the streets which were opened throughout the night. He dug into his pocket for money, sufficient for a bowl of hot, steaming, delicious...he ran impatiently towards the shop.  
  
"A bowl, please." Within a minute, Yahiko was served. 'Just more practice tomorrow, and I'll be fine.' He thought to himself, comforting him of all the weight he was going to gain from all the food he ate that day, then without further thought, dug in enjoyably. A while through the meal Yahiko noticed the man beside him, who seemed to be acting in a way, strange. Dressed in old and worn clothes of what used to be of good quality, the tall man looked like another member of beggars from the street, making their home in Rakuninmura. His face was dirty and unshaved, and if observed carefully, there were old trails of bloodstain. Much worse, he stank badly, a little ruining the appetite Yahiko had. However the strange thing about him was his way of eating. It was unlike how other poor beggars from the street ate. Although it was just a simple meal consisting of a pair of chopsticks to eat with, the man sat up straight and ate like a prince, not slurping or gobbling the food, but savouring it in a most gentlemanly way. Strangely, he looked familiar too.  
  
"Thank you," the man stood up and left the money on the table. He picked up some things on the ground blocked from view when he was sitting down. At that point, it was unmistakable. The long Japanese sword with two braided strings in loose threads at the end; and an old book who seemed dug from under the ground.  
  
Yahiko almost choked. "Enishi!" 


	2. Strange help needed

Chapter 2 - Strange help needed  
  
  
  
The man turned his head slightly, but looked back and walked away, not bothered with Yahiko who recognised him. For now, nothing mattered, there was no more goal to aim at in his life. What he had been fighting for and striving to live for were futile once his eyes had laid on the diary, the diary which revealed the painful truth. All these years the vision of his sister had been but an illusion, she was never angry with Battousai in the first place. The fact slammed him down hard while in Rakuninmura, and left him in a sad state of depression and lost, a little worse than what Kenshin had gone through. He lost more than who he loved most, but the mere reason for living too. He had no idea what was ahead, nor did not less care. Enishi? The name had no more importance. Nothing had.  
  
Yahiko stared ahead at the figure disappearing into the darkness. He didn't know what to feel, being threatened was the last, seeing his forlorn state. But he learnt not to underestimate things too much, as he was wary of Enishi's capabilities, which were, indeed, intimidating. But in the confusion held a little feeling of pity. From what he seen and heard, the story about Enishi's past was clear, Enishi should know himself by now from Tomoe's diary. Had it been to harsh, the way the truth was revealed? If given a choice, death would be a better option.  
  
Yup, death would be, but it was too easy an option. If there was one thing in him still strong, it was the reminder that Tomoe loved her brother dearly, and would definitely not want him to take his life no matter what. So much for her smiles that kept him going in the past, it's best to let things go now. He packed some food to bring back to the weird old man in Rakuninmura. There goes all his money.  
  
'No, don't go after him.' Yahiko warned himself. There wasn't any point to anyway. For safety's sake, he decided not to tell the rest of this sudden encounter. Walking home deep in thought, Yahiko passed by the place where Kenshin and Kaoru were asleep on the grass. Whatever he saw few moments ago were brushed away as he had an idea...followed by a mischievous smile.  
  
"Kenshin..." she drooled in her sleep as she occasionally did. 'Yuck, what a sight!' a disgusted Yahiko thought, but heck, he was also used to her snoring. Perched on a tree, he lowered a fish he just caught, flapping it's fins hardly on Kaoru's face. Kenshin gave him a surprised 'she'll kill you!' face, before climbing up the tree to join him, thinking 'hahaa...she'll kill me too!'. The morning sun rose slowly in a corner of the blue horizon, dimly lighting the land with the shimmering dew on plants, creating crystallising brightness in the early morning. Fortunately, Kenshin was aware of Yahiko's presence, or he would be kissing a fish now. The girl was awoken from her deep sleep, but wanted more of her dream, whatever it was, and swiped the nuisance aside, only breaking the loose string holding the fish, making it fall on her floorless face. "Nani? Is it raining, Kenshin" A gaping sea bass greeted her.  
  
"Ohayo!" Sano strolled into the dojo, obviously looking for breakfast, if not lunch too. "Food's not ready yet!" Yahiko replied him from inside, knowing full well the motive of Sano's visit. He was training with his boken and 4 bumps on the head. Kenshin, who had five bumps and a black eye smiled from his usual spot doing the laundry. "What brings you here so early?" He asked friendly. Sano's expression suddenly turned serious, he had a motive for his visit. "I need help."  
  
Kenshin stopped in mid-tracks and put his laundry down, walking towards Sano in concern. But Sano walked straight ahead towards the kitchen where Kaoru was. "Please follow me after breakfast." He asked her politely, which was an extremely rare sight. She reached for his forehead to test if he was mentally insane, perhaps Megumi gave him the wrong prescription. Sano gave a sarcastic face and pulled her hand away, asking for some seriousness. "Come on, it's urgent!"  
  
"If it's about lending money to you again, you can forget it!" Kaoru huffed, she was still pissed from morning 'fish' .  
  
"No," Sano said. "I need your clothes." ::Slap:: "Your kimono," he rephrased. "I need to borrow your kimono."  
  
"What for? You can't fit into it." she teased, making it even harder for him to try to be nice and polite.  
  
"A friend. My friend needs it."  
  
"Go on." she said, turning back to her cooking. Either she was not that willing to let go of her precious silk outfit or she wanted to ease her anger with Sano begging her. Maybe both.  
  
He sighed. He knew it was not going to be an easy task when asking anything from Kaoru. "My friend's sister is going to get married soon. But the guy is rich, and has irritating parents to please. Problem is, my friend is poor, and could hardly afford 3 decent meals a day, much less a wedding outfit. She is meeting his parents and needs something to impress. There. Can I take one now?" he said and turned around to enter her room, not even waiting for her answer.  
  
'That Megumi is right, he really does not know his limits!!' thought Kaoru exasperatly. 'But at least he thinks my tastes are good, I myself never knew my kimonos are that nice! Perhaps it's because I'm in it, after all, he sees me in it...' her mind wandered off till she realised Sano was no longer with her.  
  
"Hey! Did I say yes?" Kaoru stormed into the room. By then, Sano had taken the yellow one that she usually wore, about to make his exit. "Please? Thanks!" She caught him by the shirt before he could run. "Come on, onegai! You can't be this..." "Wait." she interrupted. Pulling him back into her room and opened a wooden chest hidden somewhere in a corner Sano hadn't noticed. Out she pulled a beautiful light blue kimono with embedded golden jewels and embroided pink flowers, smooth and shining, with a darker blue waist band and a silver strap. Purely silk, the outfit was complimented with polished wooden clogs in dark beige with soft silk strings where the toes would slid under. Kaoru held the clothing in front of Sano, who was taken aback with the beauty of it, for Kaoru had never worn it before, even on special occasions. "My mom left me this, she used it for her own wedding, but I supposed that you need more than clothes to doll yourself up. Mind if I help?" she asked, smiling.  
  
He grinned. At times she's not an ugly, old, noisy Jou-chan after all!  
  
Kenshin and Yahiko peeped from the door, and was relieved everything was all right. Sano was a good friend, and would do anything he could to help if one was in need. He turned back to finish up with the rest of the clothes, when heard Yahiko mumble under his breath. "So it was that, I thought he saw him too." He picked up his boken and left.  
  
His father played around with the birds and sang to himself. Though reconciled, Enishi could not accept the fact the weird old man was his dad. Well, neither could he under that frame of mind, who left everything behind in Kyoto. There was not a need for either parties to have any burden of taking care of each other, both could survive well without any help. They did before when they made their decision to leave everything behind. But still, perhaps it was Tomoe who kept them together. Now that she was gone, both were as good as strangers.  
  
"I love ramen." he chirped to the singing birds. "She loved ramen too!"  
  
"No, she preferred rice." Enishi corrected, back to the wall, relaxing in the cool afternoon sun. Now there were no restrictions to smile and show his emotions, but there were reluctances as he was not used to it. His temper had died down greatly, and has started to learn to be more cheerful. 'Not that cheerful,' he thought, looking at the weird old man. 'that's an extreme'. From when he moved to Rakuninmura, he left all contact with the outside world. The thriving mafia business began to die down not under any strong and good leadership they once had. The No. 2 leader was spending life imprisonment with a fractured face, and made collecting information a little harder for Saitoh. But then, they were all in the past. He looked up at the sky now appearing a slight shade of grey.  
  
"She liked ramen too."  
  
"Hajimemashite." the young girl no older than she was herself bowed low before her, causing a slight blush in her face. Kaoru rushed to hold her, standing her up again. "No, no, it's okay. Sano told me all about you." Kaoru smiled and assured her no inconvenience was caused, if being drenched in the storm with a noisy Yahiko, a Kenshin with a mistakenly broken umbrella and a Sano hurrying them were not considered as one. Still, she wished to help the sweet girl, more with the urge to help than Sano asking her to. Sano asking her to was not even in the least persuasive.  
  
Sano's friend brought the guys to a room, leaving the two girls alone. It seems no harm letting Kenshin and Yahiko know, thinking that perhaps they could be of some help. The girl looked up at Kaoru, afraid. "Miko, is it Miko? Don't worry, I'll do what I can to please his parents." Kaoru gently brush the hair off Miko's face, finding out that she was actually a beauty. Her clear brown eyes plainly showed her innocence of a young teenager, not much lady about to get married. She had a fair face with rosy cheeks, with slender figure and smooth fair skin. Although she was poor as Sano said, she knew how to take care of herself. Her soft voice went well with her sweet looks, and when she smiled, which she did after Kaoru's reassurance, Kaoru had to admit the young lady was charming without any effort, way prettier than she herself was. She was about to miss the point of dressing her up.  
  
"How long have you knew him?" asked Kaoru, brushing her raven black hair that shone in the light.  
  
"4 months, we met by coincidence."  
  
She stopped in surprise at such short a time, then quickly continued.  
  
"I'm sure he was attracted by your beauty, as many would be."  
  
Miko blushed.  
  
"Does he treat you well?" she inquired again at the friendly girl, now bunning the long locks in a clip with cyrstal blue stones at the end, to match the dress. After which she would tie it with one of her ribbons, spreading it out across her bun till shoulder-length.  
  
"Very well indeed, he doesn't mind my...my state." she said in a more softer tone. "But I love him a lot."  
  
Kaoru stood her up to help her in the ravishing kimono, more complicated than normal kimonos to put on. As she did, she felt herself envying the young girl for finding happiness and guaranteeing it's long lifespan to be celebrated with a joyous occasion. She had that too, she had Kenshin. Demo...when will he...he...  
  
"There, you look even more lovely!" She applied the white powder in little amount to her face, not wanting to conceal the true beauty beneath shown simplistically. Then, a little of pink here...and there...  
  
"There!" came a voice behind the sliding door, which opened and drew the curtains to a sight holding everyone's breath for minutes on end...before breaking out in heaps of laughter.  
  
"Kaoru, move away!" shouted Sano to the girl in a huge mess with powder over her face and arms. Apparently, she got more of it on herself than on Miko. She frowned and stepped aside, to show the real sight that they anticipated. Kaoru lifted her bowed head and sat back with everyone else, watching them gape in amazement. The carriage outside broke the silence and signalled the time to leave.  
  
"Well done," Kenshin praised her and held a sleeve up to wipe the mess off her face. "She's gorgeous, like you."  
  
She ::blushed::, Yahiko and Sano ::eyed:: him suspiciously, Kenshin had ::sweatdrop::...^_^  
  
The five of them with the bride-to-be headed to the mansion in two horse- drawn carriages. 


	3. Familiar Stranger

Chapter 3 - Familiar stranger  
  
"Hey," called one of the many people surrounding a black pot over fire. "you hungry yet?"  
  
The old man who leaned against the wall with Enishi grinned wide-toothed. Dinner was about to be served. The locals in Rakuninmura, learn not to ask Enishi about anything, nor even attempt to converse with him, for he never and would never accept anything of their kind. His three meals were self- dependant in one way or another, he always had more decent food to eat.  
  
"What is it tonight?" asked the old man, walking to the crowd to take a peek. "boiled rubbish again?"  
  
he said with no offence intended, but they could tell he was also happy about it. After all, who would over a burning pot of stale vegetables with stewed rats and other insects mixed with drain water? Health was always a problem there, and many got sick, especially children. The old man was considered to them as their leader, who always maintained stability there, whether it was fights over living territory, or children needing money to see the physician. They owed plenty to him, but never knew where he got his resources from. He was surely a special insane old angel.  
  
"I got something special for you all tonight!" he said enthusiastically, dancing around as he talked. The people stopped from their grabbing and snatching and looked up at their benefactor. 'Continue...' they signalled.  
  
"Something special, something special!!" he spinned around, closer to the amused Enishi this time, who wondered again if he was really related to the clown in front of him. But nevertheless, he was the figure of hope and joy in Rakuninmura. "Real food." he looked down at him, then said in a softer tone such that only Enishi could hear. "I suppose I owed you this for a long time, ne?"  
  
The mansion was huge, much like ones another disciple of Kaoru - Yutarou, had. Indeed, the groom's family was wealthy, the reminder cause anxiety to the bride who was trembling in fear then. Kaoru placed a comforting arm around Miko, whilst the rest lit smiles along the way, Sano's being the intention of 'I'll bash them up if they reject you!'. However throughout the journey, Yahiko and Kenshin were silent, both deep in thought. To Yahiko, this was an outing which would bring them to a far place, almost touring round Tokyo. And though he tried to dismiss it, the thought of running into Enishi again would be a dreaded one, now that everyone had settled their lives in peace. Would he want revenge again? Had his skills improved enough to defeat Kenshin, who due to health problems may not performance the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu to it's best? He looked out the window warily, gaining a more confirmed suggestion to Kenshin that something was amiss. Was Saitoh back? Who did Yahiko saw? Is it a dangerous creature that would threaten their happy lives again?  
  
'There must be a reason he's not sharing this with anyone.' thought Kenshin to himself.  
  
The chandelier superbly lit the European-styled hall where many danced to westerned classical music. Golden-coloured satin curtains draped from high ceilings that reached to the ground, sprawled on the smooth floor one can see reflection from. It was a lovely sight that proved only the rich could afford. Miko bowed her head lower in worry and embarrassment, she has never been here before and was taken aback by such beyond her wildest dreams. The rest were staring in wonder at everything they seen, heard, and now coming in contact with.  
  
"Yahiko, don't you dare go near that." Kaoru pulled his shirt before he came close to risk crashing the large piece of china, at the same time yanking Sano's bandana not letting him wander off. As for Kenshin, she held on to his hair for company.  
  
"Let's go," she winked at Miko. "I can't wait to meet the lucky guy!"  
  
A servant who recognised the bride-to-be led the way to a room across the hall, where they would meet those who've been waiting eagerly. "Are you ready?" Miko's brother asked and squeezed her shivering hand. "Don't fret, I'm here." she nodded and took the first step. The crowd graciously made way, some even bowing at the stunning sight that lay before their eyes. She captured attention from the moment she entered, drawing them with humble poise, indirectly gaining more praises. One could only wish the groom would give her all that she should deserve.  
  
The solid wooden door opened without a creak to a spacious room with a few chairs and tables, perfect for holding a meeting or conference. But this was a important occasion, for seated in two chairs were an old couple, behind them the back of a young man suspected to be the groom. He had his eyes on a painting on the wall and seemed not to know anyone entered. That is, until his parents spoke.  
  
"Welcome," the lady said in a friendly tone. "you must be Miko Nuroshi."  
  
Miko nodded and smiled in return. Kaoru could tell she was struggling to keep calm, yet she was far from it.  
  
"Come closer and let me have a look at you." beckoned the mother again. But before she took another step, the one behind spoke in a tone too familiar to Kenshin.  
  
"So we meet again, Mr. Himura."  
  
Kenshin froze and put a hand tightly around the hilt of his sword. 


	4. Unexpected coincidence

Chapter 4: Unexpected coincidence  
  
"Kenshin," she looked worriedly at him. "what's going on?" Kaoru held onto his sleeve in trembling hands.  
  
"Stay back." he didn't even flinch. "All of you."  
  
The two confused elderly stood up, obviously displeased with what's going on though they had no idea of it.  
  
"It's okay Otosan." he turned around to meet Kenshin straight in the eye. "They are my friends."  
  
The man was Soujiro. Seta Souiro, the strongest member of the Juppongatana, Shishio's followers, Kenshin's past enemies. But it was too confusing to be relieved that he didn't had a weapon with him. Soujiro had lost his parents at a young age, so who was he calling 'Otosan'? Could he be...  
  
"Soujiro-chan!" Miko called out worriedly. She knew something was not right when Kenshin took the stance. The rest upon their sight and name of him readied for battle, Yahiko taking out his boken and Sano cracking his knuckles fiercely. If everything changed , at least his name didn't.  
  
He smiled at his fiancé and walked ahead to her. "Gomen nasai, Otosan, Okasan. There have been some misunderstandings I must explain before things take a wrong turn."  
  
The truth to his questions were found, in a short while compared to what Shishio and Kenshin went through though. But the truth was found so warmly and lovingly in the elderly couple, who took him in and adopted him to the family. He was the sole heir to vast fortunes he could not care less about, but loved his 'parents' dearly. Unlike Enishi who was filled with jealously and hatred for others' happiness , Soujiro was utterly grateful, and would do anything that would please them. His journey to the north had been fruitful, and his philosophy which he would strongly believe in would be one similar to Kenshin's: to take care of those he loves.  
  
There was something unseen and untold of, a deeper enforcement of doing anything to please his new-found parents. No one had been so nice to him, not even Shishio whom he followed so loyally for years. If a marriage to a beautiful women would be their desire for him, then so shall it be. he tried to be joyful about it, but was actually unsure of his feelings. He was not even ready to be sure.  
  
"Soka..." the parents understood and was glad the misunderstanding was cleared. Once more focusing their attention on the young girl, they scanned eyes from top to toes.  
  
"You look lovely," the Father commented, totally forgetting the little incident just now. "It seems we made a good choice." She was now sitting on a chair with Soujiro behind her, but he did not touch her.  
  
"I know of your background." the mother said, now in a lower tone. "it may not match those of us..."  
  
"So what?" Sano shouted in, annoyed. "Is he marrying her or her money? Besides, you're..." Kaoru frantically slammed a hand across his mouth, grinning back at them in a regretful manner.  
  
"Yeah! Who are you to make the decisions? Remember it's your son who's..." Kenshin covered Yahiko's mouth in time. ::sweatdrops::  
  
The parents were silent, but clearly not offended, after all, they did make sense and the decision was confirmed long ago. Glancing back at Soujiro, indicating him to speak his mind. he hesitated, it was a big decision. But he had gone this far, and...and...  
  
"I...I love Miko." he spoke out bravely, and flashed a wide smile at her, holding her hand to stand her up, then entwining her's in his. "It is my pleasure that she...she be my..."  
  
*CLANK! PRINK!* "Stop him!" *CLASH!!*  
  
  
  
"Damn," he cursed under his breath. A silver fork barely flew past him. "when was the last time I did this?" Yet another silver object kissed his head, a spoon this time. Enishi dashed out the door.  
  
Sano didn't bother with the stairs, he leaped down from the balcony to the astonished crowd and immediately gave chase. Yahiko wanted to try and climbed over the ledge, when Kaoru grabbed his shirt, leaving him dangling in mid-air. "I can do it!!" he screamed waving his arms and legs frantically about. "I know," she smiled wryly. "I just want you to do more than that." Gathering all the strength she has, she lifted him behind her and threw the poor boy ahead.  
  
"WHY...YOU...ARRGGHHH!!!"  
  
"Opps." she winced. Okay, she had to admit that she didn't have that much strength as Sano, and pretty bad aiming too. Yahiko landed on the dining table, and almost got his head stuck in a giant turkey. She turned her head to Kenshin, only to find that he was gone. "I should have known."  
  
The duo approached the figure now clumsily climbing over the high gates of the mansion, in a difficult manner since he was weighed down with two heavy bags. A kidnapping seems unlikely considering how unprofessional it was done. Yahiko came running seconds later, his boken out, ready to attack.  
  
"You're not going anywhere." Sano said rather more as a statement. He climbed up and pulled the man down, but catching him before he hit his back on the ground. The stranger however, had amazing strength enough to pull himself out of Sano's tight grasp and shove him to the wall. "That's it, I'm not being easy on you now." Sano walked towards him and was about to deliver a punch when Yahiko stepped in the way, arms outstretched.  
  
He was about to choke, barely breathing. "No, Sano! Don't, he's...he's..."  
  
Kenshin loosened from attack position and stood there in a daze. It was too much of a coincidence, especially when it all happed at the same night. Is he dreaming?  
  
"Enishi! Enishi Yukishiro!"  
  
Enishi gave a sigh, no one would believe he had failed on such a simple mission. Others were waiting for him and he couldn't wait to leave.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you got me." he lifted his head to Kenshin, then faced Sano, not surprised nor interested. "Can I go now?" Indeed he was beyond recognition, the classy appearance he had once were not gone and replaced with one too extreme in the opposite.  
  
"No way," Sano pushed Yahiko aside, and grabbed Enishi by the his shirt. "You can't be that psycho." Kenshin held Sano's fist, shaking his head.  
  
"It's him."  
  
"Okay, so it's him, but let me at a shot, please? My hand just recovered, so just one? Or I'll have to try it on Yahiko." He immediately got a whack on the head by a boken.  
  
While the two were fighting in clouds of dust, Kenshin walked towards him with a smile. From the past, he hoped the disputes were over and there could be peace between them both. But Enishi's shabby appearance were appalling, he wished he could be of help. Enishi looked at him coolly, without any of the shades he had last time.  
  
"So..." he tries to strike a conversation, not acknowledging the fact the other was in a rush. "what brings you?"  
  
Enishi smirked. "You're as dumb as you were always. You don't see criminals stopping for a chat while on duty, do you?"  
  
Kenshin got the hint, and sensed heavy footsteps approaching. "You'd better go now, I'll take care of this." he pointed backwards to the approaching mob, not knowing what triggered him to do that. Enishi gave a nod and fled as fast as he could. He no longer bore any hatred for the Battousai, or Kenshin as he knows now. But it was also too early to be in good terms, even though his sister may have loved him. He shrugged the matter away and brought the load of scrumptious treat back to Rakuninmura. 


	5. A step too deep?

**HI there all!! Thanks a billion for your reviews!! They really encouraged me lots!! Here's chapter 5 where things take a sharp turn, so I hope I don't go OOC too much!! Yup, I want a cheerful Enishi too, and the circumstances at this moment of the two potential couples are at their starting position...read on to find out more!! DOOMO ARIGATOU you all!!**  
  
  
  
Chapter 5 : A step too deep?  
  
  
  
Kaoru came home to the dojo is puzzlement, but nonetheless joyful as usual. Although it was a surprise to meet up with her captive from the past, but no grudges were held, no feelings of fright were felt. She was surprised but at the same time glad how Kenshin handled the matter, with maturity and certainly putting the past behind him. Kenshin had changed, for the better. She looked at his sweet sleeping manner in his room, and blew a kiss before sliding close the door.  
  
The glowing moon shone it's rays through Sano's window, and fell on his open palm. He looked at it dearly and pretty much forgotten what happened the previous night. It was his fist that he once depended on for his meals, money. It was his fist which led him to know Kenshin and found a new meaning to life, and it was his fist that got him...closer to Megumi. He couldn't be sure of the situation now, they still had quarrels and arguments sometime even leading to fights. But, he felt and knew it was different from the past, they were closer in a way, more than just friends, much more than a doctor-patient relationship. He wanted to know where it was going.  
  
The birds on the tree chirped happily, singing morning songs to those who were still asleep. Kenshin rolled on his bed, satisfied with the restful sleep he had, with no disturbance from dreams or the real world. In recent weeks had he been able to enjoy peaceful nights without waking up in haunting memories of the past he had tried so hard to atone for. The shameful mistakes had finally found their answers.  
  
He had tried his best. Really.  
  
He blinked the sleep away, and urged himself to awake and make breakfast. As he got up, the ribbon which was wrung around his soft red hair fell off, letting his red locks fall down on his shoulders and chest. "Oro?" the crimson ribbon he clutched had worn off from long usage, it was time to get a new one. He shook his hair to the back and proceeded to the kitchen, almost hearing Yahiko snore in the next room.  
  
Settling the dishes on the table, he took off his apron and settled down, waiting for the rest. But they had not arrived, perhaps still sleeping. Finding it weird that they were be up so late, Kenshin went about to their rooms and peeked in.  
  
No one.  
  
No one was at home.  
  
He shook his head in confusion and continued searching. If either Yahiko or Kaoru went out, they would inform him, especially Kaoru. Was he still dreaming? Looking at the food he prepared turning cold, he decided he'd tuck in first, and wait patiently, sure of some good reason behind it. "Still tastes better than Kaoru's." he had to admit, it was undeniable! Halfway through, the gate outside opened, and a commotion was heard.  
  
"I told you not to run with it! See, now we have to get new one."  
  
"It wasn't my fault ugly, I told you to hurry, but you had to take your own sweet time."  
  
The familiar voices bought a smile to Kenshin's face, who was starting to worry for their safety. He stood up to welcome them, then stopped abruptly at the figure standing at the back of the two.  
  
"Don't look at me like that, you asked me to come." Enishi claimed.  
  
"We met him at the market, and asked him to join us for breakfast." Kaoru quipped, after snatching the tofu bucket from Yahiko, giving a 'you're- gonna-drop-it-again' look.  
  
"Soka..." nodded Kenshin, walking forward to them, but could not help wondering at the suddenness of the situation. I did ask him for tea...but...  
  
Enishi placed his hands in his pocket, peering around curiously. The group had been ecstatic from last night's supper, begging him for more. There was nothing much to do anyway, so he made his way to the market in search of food to steal, unexpectedly meeting up with them. Instead of pre-cooked stale food he would get, why not nice home-cooked food from someone who's inviting him as a guest? It didn't seem that bad after all, hence accepted the offer.  
  
"We wanted to surprise you with a feast, but she was caught up drooling over new kimonos." Yahiko pointed to Kaoru, who lifted two bagfuls of new clothes, not feeling much guilty about it, even proud.  
  
"It's okay, I cooked breakfast already." Kenshin ushered them in, standing at the doorway till Enishi entered. He held his arm in a gentle manner, intending no harm. Though his character had changed to somewhat more friendly and optimistic, his appearance was still pretty saddening.  
  
"The towels are in the bath house, I'll get you new clothes. Why don't you go freshen yourself up?" Kenshin suggested, trying not to be the least insultive. But the point was obvious enough.  
  
A meal and a bath, why not? Enishi nodded and headed there, quite looking forward to it.  
  
The rest didn't seem to notice how tightly Enishi gripped on his sword and the old diary. Kenshin looked at the walking figure with a slight suspicion. He really just came for tea, did he? It seems Kaoru had fully accepted him, as she first easily accepted the Battousai. Her innocence was stunning and touching at the same time, but it greatly worried Kenshin what hard it may bring, the risks she would take. Please let him just come for tea.  
  
"So..." Kaoru smiled, thoroughly enjoying the meal Kenshin cooked. "where are you staying now?"  
  
"Where he once stayed." he glanced in the direction of the one sitting facing him. Kaoru tilted her head to the side in puzzlement, winning a chuckle from Kenshin and a slap in the forehead from Sano, who arrived minutes after Enishi did.  
  
"Rakuninmura," Yahiko voiced out. "He now lives in Rajuninmura, silly."  
  
"That explains your dressing...opps!" she quickly covered her mouth with both hands. "I didn't mean that, sorry."  
  
Enishi brushed it off, it meant nothing. "It's true after all, don't be sorry."  
  
"But," Kenshin placed his chopsticks down, he showed genuine concern. "don't you have other plans?"  
  
Sano added. "Yeah, you can't stay in the dump yard forever."  
  
He placed a hand to his now soft locks of white, clean from dirt and grime. He had not taken a bath for about a year, and if not for his well built, he'd be stricken with serious disease by now. The bath room had a clean sharp blade to shave with, put into good use at the end of the cleaning. He was refreshed and loved that feeling.  
  
"Well, I can't go looking for another brother-in-law to take my revenge on." he said jokingly, grinning a little. "Besides, I chose how I lived now, there's not much anywhere I could go anyway." he tucked in more of the delicious food. Enishi had tasted the Battousai's sword, but never his cooking. He definitely preferred the cooking.  
  
"Come stay with us then." Yahiko said, as if the whole dojo was his. "You'll only need to pay the price of eating Kaoru's horrible food."  
  
*BISH!! THWHACK!!*  
  
"Good idea! We still have rooms, if you don't mind their small size." she said cheerfully after beating the pulp out of her student.  
  
Kenshin froze at her quick reply, her care was authentic. She was really welcoming Enishi with open arms. Kaoru? Do you know what you're doing Kaoru?  
  
Enishi stopped chewing his rice and looked down on his bowl, head bowed with an expressionless face hidden from view. Why are they being so nice to me? I almost got them all killed, cause the Battousai to go through hell and almost destroyed their home, their happiness. Am I in for a trick? Are they planning revenge? He planned to let it all go, nothing did matter anymore. But since that day he met Yahiko by the road side stall, something stirred inside him. It was emotions that he had lost long ago, since the day his sister left home and happiness lost it's meaning. For years he had been born with hatred, to the bone and his very soul. From Tomoe's diary, it all washed away, but too quick and sudden, leaving only emptiness, nothing else. Now was the cause of hatred showing acts of love, love that were gone long, long ago. Can I say yes? He so wanted to.  
  
"I...I don't know." he blurted out, still looking down. "I don't..."  
  
"It's okay," Kaoru placed a comforting hand on his. "take your time, we'll always be open to you."  
  
He looked up, eyes wide with shock. "But...why? Of all..."  
  
She knows what she's doing. She knew what she was doing when she asked a deadly killer to stay. No...she asked me, Himura Kenshin to stay. Now's she's asking Enishi Yukishiro, not her past captive, a friend.  
  
What am I to say she's wrong?  
  
"It's in the past. We are not holding any grudges against you." Kenshin assured. "For my evil past of deaths and blood, I am no longer bonded to that. I took a new step, a painful one of truth and change, and I am grateful to be accepted." He took and twined fingers with Kaoru under the table. Lovingly, they squeezed each other hands, securing their love with every word sincerely meant. "Don't dwell in the past anymore, take a new step."  
  
It's not supposed to matter anymore, my only love is dead, the only person I cared for. I want to give everything up, but...I don't see her anymore, it's them who are smiling at me now.  
  
Sano slapped him in the back. "Come on, it's not always you get an invitation by Jou-chan. Take it as my apology for yesterday, ne?"  
  
They smile like she did. So full of real love within. My heart doesn't allow me to give it all up.  
  
Enishi lifted his head slowly, and smiled back at them. His face aching with tiredness from the frowns he'd been used to, but he smiled willingly abiding his heart.  
  
"Just let Kenshin do the cooking daily."  
  
Kenshin desperately held Kaoru who was about to bite Enishi's head off.  
  
The way she smiles. So full of real love within. My heart doesn't allow me to stop her. He's my brother after all. 


	6. For a smile

**^_^;;sorry!! a short chapter this time, hope you don't mind!!Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews, I love you all!!**  
  
Chapter 6: For a smile...  
  
  
  
"That's it, you have no where else to go."  
  
"I'm not going to surrender! Never!"  
  
"Face it, you lost, and I promise it'll be painless."  
  
"No, wait...I still have a chance...please wait...WAIT!!! ARRGGHHHH!!"  
  
Okina laughed cruelly and vivaciously, lifting his head up and in proud splendour, savouring his imaginary glory. Misao stared blankly at the chess set where she was mercilessly defeated, and banged on the table in frustration. "No!!!!Not again!!!" They rounded up the 8th game before she finally admitted her status to be no match to him. There they were in Aoshi's room in the Oniwabanshu's home having fun as usual, but Misao secretly trying damn hard to twich Aoshi's mouth into a smile.  
  
"How did I do Aoshi-sama? How did you think I did?"  
  
He nodded towards her, sipping his Jasmine tea in silence, watching the game from a distance. Or at least she thought he was watching the game. It may be just a small gesture compared to Okina's encouraging patting on her shoulder, but any response from her beloved was treasured. Misao was dearly overjoyed.  
  
They put the chess aside, Okina excusing himself to leave to attend to some business, leaving Misao with Aoshi alone in the room. For minutes they sat silent, each occupied with a thought or an object, but again as usual, she broke the silence.  
  
"How are you today, Aoshi-same? Well...I mean, how are you feeling?"  
  
He looked up from facing down. "Fine."  
  
"Oh, erm...then..." Misao always stammered when making conversations with Aoshi, picking the words carefully in her head to ensure she does not displease him, always putting her best act that she could. She knew that he doesn't mind such details, but she would want the best for him, never ceasing to make him happy. "Do you want to go out today? To do...erm...get some fresh air? hehheh.."  
  
"There's fresh air from here." Aoshi replied her in his normal expressionless tone, still looking at her.  
  
"Oh...then..."  
  
"But I don't mind going out for a while."  
  
That was all that was needed to make her day, even her week.  
  
The hard cracking sound of boken against boken rang loudly from the walls of the dojo, at times muffled by the shouting and screaming of the teacher to her disciple.  
  
"More force! Aim accurately! Faster!!"  
  
To Enishi reading quietly in his room, he thought Kaoru was pure torturing her student. In the past, he did undergo such training, even more tedious ones that ached his whole body for weeks on end. Furthermore, real sharp swords were used, increasing the risk or getting severely injured should stances not be done to the utmost accuracy. But for a sweet dame of 17 years, shrouded by beauty external and within, it was hard to accept the fact of her holding any weapon at all, much less be a skilled and strict teacher.  
  
He heard someone tapping lightly on his paper door, and gave the permission of entrance.  
  
"Enishi-dono, lunch is ready. Would you like to join us?"  
  
He turned his head slowly from the book he wasn't so engrossed in, smiled and nodded. Kenshin looked wide-eyed in surprise at his easy display of emotions, a little convinced he would be the new member in their Kenshin- gumi, just like Sano and Yahiko had.  
  
"This will do for today, practice a few more hundred times." ordered Kaoru, sweating with exhaustion.  
  
"What?! you're merciless, busu." Yahiko was no less tired, after all being the one that was beaten up. But before he let her have a chance to reply and increase his practice, he reluctantly obliged to whatever that was told. His schedule was tight, someone was waiting for him at the Akabeko. He picked up his boken, ignoring lunch and began on his downward shinai attacks. Indeed he had learnt the master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, but as Kaoru said, there were so much of the basic foundation that were waiting to be learnt. "You're not a Tokyo Samurai if you think you can stop learning." he remembered her advise, knowing that his role model, Kenshin, still strives to be like his teacher, Hiko Seijuro. I'm good, but not good enough. But I'll go on forward...and on...and on...  
  
"Two hundred!"  
  
Lunch was enjoyed quietly, all three wishing they ate at the Akabeko instead of trying Kaoru's new recipe. Kenshin had the laundry to finish, Kaoru had to travel elsewhere to teach her lessons. Enishi was about to retreat into his room, when stopped by Kaoru.  
  
"Are you busy, or heading to somewhere?"  
  
He had to, the folks at Rakuninmura were waiting, a little angry at his pretty long absence. During breakfast, he had asked for extra portions, very much delighting Kaoru, but secretly hiding it in some compartment in the room, where he planned to bring it out later. The same were done for lunch, but he knew it was not enough to feed even half the population there. Maybe even disgusting them with it.  
  
"Erm, no, why?"  
  
He couldn't let her or anyone know he's stealing food, or his stay there would be cut off. It's been a year since he enjoyed something close to decent. Back in the old days when he still had the power and money, nothing was a problem. Why, he could sail around the world anytime he wanted to. But now...now...  
  
"Want to come along with me? It should be interesting."  
  
Interesting? Why would training be interesting? But he remember the morning incident overheard from his room, and would like to see it. He was still skilled after all, but really rusty. I'll teach her a thing or two, he thought amusingly. He could settle the food later, perhaps sneak more from dinner, where Kenshin would cook and it be more edible.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Hence taking along his sword and diary, the two headed out across town, where eager students are waiting with their bokens to learn a killing skill they would only use for defence. Enishi wondered why he still stuck with his sword when he would not be needing it anymore, it never occured to him to throw it away after having it for years. But, it seems now more of a burden than a weapon. All I need is her diary.  
  
"Kaoru-san," he started softly with a more polite tone than he used when he was her captor.  
  
"Enishi-san, I admit the lunch was not that delicious as usual..." she cut in, didn't heard what he said.  
  
Er...delicious as usual?  
  
"I apologise, would you like something at the Akabeko? My treat!" she said, beaming at him. "We still have enough time before my lesson starts." She felt sorry, but mostly hungry for real food. For the sake of food, she'll let Megumi into the house to do lunch tomorrow.  
  
He glanced at her, puzzled, at little loss for words. Wow, she can really eat. The Akabeko was what I blew up before...right?  
  
"Let's go!" she said before he could reply, pulling his arm with her. 


	7. A new direction

Chapter 7: A New Direction  
  
  
  
They both drank the green tea Yahiko gave them in the busy restaurant, relaxing from the walk under the hot summer sun. Yahiko had been surprised to see them, but Kaoru even more shocked at the pink blush on his cheeks when she questioned about Tsubame's daisy in her hair. He was arriving earlier and leaving later than usual, Tae commented, also amused at those two kids, remembering her days of childhood and youth. "Let them have their own joy..." Tae laughed, looking at Yahiko scurrying to help Tsubame manage a hot dish she has carried before umpteenth times.  
  
Kaoru was lost in her own thoughts when Enishi, who was silent the whole time, gently reminded her.  
  
"Kaoru-san, don't you have a lesson to hold?"  
  
"Aah!" she jerked her head up to face him, then gathered to stand. "we'd better hurry. I promised them I'll be punctual this time." she winced, things cropped up recently that altered her busy schedule. She thanked Tae then proceeded to leave, when noticed Enishi still sitting down, looking at his tea.  
  
"If you want more, I'll get some on..."  
  
There's no better way to do this, I don't even know why I want to give it to her.  
  
He stood up abruptly, walked quickly to her and deposit his long, golden well-polished sword on her palm, then turning to the exit rushed out.  
  
She barely caught it, the long Japanese sword was heavier than the sabakatou, with all it's ornaments and carved icons on the handle. Kaoru looked at it for a minute or two, for a moment not knowing what in the world was it. Then reality snapped and she gave chase.  
  
  
  
The Oniwabanshu duo walked along the streets of Kyoto, looking for a place to dine in, errands to run, things to buy. But they had all the time in the world, Misao stopped at everything adorable her eyes feasted on, from paintings to accessories she thought the Aoiya should have.  
  
"Aoshi-sama, can I get this teapot?"  
  
He turned around and looked at what she was holding, a white porcelain figure too small to hold any liquid, but carved and painted beautifully. It's obvious she knew it was just decorative, but she wanted it dearly. Aoshi took a deep breath and dug into his sling bag, retrieving a pouch of money, throwing it to her.  
  
"Hontou ni?" Misao gasped with glee as she paid for her item.  
  
Clasping it tightly with full admiration, she ran to his side and returned him the pouch. Whenever she was out with Aoshi, he would be a perfect guardian, more like a father than a friend. She didn't mind, as long as she was with him, it satisfied her no end.  
  
"Thank you, I really like it!"  
  
She didn't see the slight grin he made. It's one of the little things he can do for all she have done, it did please him to make her happy.  
  
They headed on into the crowd, along the street and kept going on...till they reached the town border.  
  
Running in her hakama was much easier than in a kimono, she caught up with her gift-giver in no time. Exhausted from her thoughts, Kaoru pulled his sleeve attempting to stop him.  
  
"What's this? Why are you passing it to me?"  
  
Think, think...you should have ran out of there then, don't let her catch up.  
  
"Just take it, consider it as an apology for what I did last time."  
  
Ok, that was a good one. But I'll bet it won't hold.  
  
"What you did last...? Oh, as what we said, it doesn't matter, it's in the pas...Wait. Even so, you don't pass someone a sword just like that! This is supposed to be precious."  
  
It's not to me. That didn't last long, damn, think Enishi think! You know she needs it more than you do  
  
He stopped walking and looked her in the eyes. Deep within, the sword was useless to him, but not to her. He wasn't passing on a burden, but neither did he want it. In fact, the happiest times of his life was without it. Please take it Kaoru...only you can use it in the right way..  
  
"The sword...the sword, I'm not proud of it. I have discarded my skills and fighting techniques, I have no use for a sword or any other weapon."  
  
"No, I am aware you're almost as good as Kenshin, to some extent even better."  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore, get it?" He was becoming a tad frustrated. Can't she just take it and...?? "Nothing of this fighting does, I'm choosing a different path now."  
  
"And you're giving it to me because...?" she asked, demanding to know the answer before she could even think of accepting the extravagant and sacred object.  
  
He paused and stared at her. There were many answers to that question, but neither could be spoken out, he knew neither would be accepted. He opened he mouth to speak, then closed it again, just looking blankly at her inquisitive self.  
  
"If you don't want it, throw it away." he said, walking away, noticing things were getting awkward between them.  
  
Do I want it?  
  
What for? her mind reminded her of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu moves never made suitable for a sword, not even a sabakatou would fit it's style, much less a long Japanese sword.  
  
But something even stronger than the will of her mind pressed on to hold it closer to her. With her back to the retreating figure, she held it tightly with both hands around it's sheath and whispered a little word of thanks.  
  
Why not?  
  
She knew somehow throwing it away would be absurd. 


	8. Intentional Words

**Special thanks to Firuze Khanume who did all the editing and giving of suggestions...::low bow::, and those who commented in any way, giving me so much encouragement to go on. Here's a little on Soujiro and Misao that you guys have been waiting for!!**  
  
Chapter 8: Intentional words  
  
  
  
She sat quietly in the corner of the room, finishing her embroidery meant to be a gift for him. The morning lights from the curtains illuminated the sleeping figure on the bed underneath the covers, his sweet sleeping face displayed innocence of a young child. Miko stood up from the dressing table, another westernised object amid the midst of many in the extravagant home, she still clutching the pillow she'd sewn. Softly and gracefully, she strode towards her husband, no intentions to wake him up. He looked peaceful, a smile plastered to his adorable face even whilst sleeping, she couldn't remember how many countless times she was mesmerised by his smile, easily taking her breath away.  
  
"Sou-chan..." she whispered, kneeling before the bed just above his forehead. "I'm so happy to be with you." True words meant from the bottom of her heart.  
  
Words that he said to her during the wedding.  
  
Pushing the sleeve of her new silk kimono aside, Miko lightly brushed his face with her soft and smooth fingers, embracing each touch she made in contact with him.  
  
Her quivering fingers.  
  
She was shy since the day she met him by an inn where she worked, busy serving other customers who harassed, brawled, and shouted at her. For the sake of her family, she was willing to put through with it, even when they got to an extent of hitting her for not entertaining them. That's when he strode in, like a hero to save her from her distress.  
  
He strode in behind his parents.  
  
What was more to ask? The marriage gave her a sense of security, she need not worry for the welfare of her family anymore, need not worry about leaving her beloved no longer. This was her dream come true, a life in bliss and happiness. She knew it would be selfish of her to ask for more. Even just a little more...  
  
A kiss she never received.  
  
A hug she never had.  
  
A love she would always wonder if he sincerely meant.  
  
"Koishii, are you happy...?" Miko asked, her voice now shaking.  
  
***  
  
They walked back in silence under the still moonlight and dark sky, each footstep heard loud and clear, unmuffled by no other noise around. Kaoru had been absent-minded with her teaching today, unusually being hit by even the amateur and beginner students, a couple of times still swinging the bokken after the whole match.  
  
She would never dare admit it nor reveal it to anyone else, for all she worried about was the welfare of the sword, the gift she had just grown to accept.  
  
That fact that it actually bothers her alone freaked her out.  
  
She wondered where she would keep it, hide it, or one day muster courage enough to use it. And as if having a mind of it's own, her body clutched the sword closely, her sweaty palms strangling the golden handle and black ivory sheath. Kaoru didn't know how she felt, gratefulness? Or more...  
  
Enishi watched her from behind in hushed fascination, slightly amused by her reaction to his simple gesture. It was indescribable, his feelings at that moment. In truth, there was initially a tinge of regret when he remembered all he could achieve with the sword, it was like his second best friend from Tomoe that kept him going through the years both good and bad. But seeing her expression, her reaction...  
  
It was all washed away.  
  
That easily?  
  
He quickly tilted his head down, a smile uncontrollably creeping to his pink face. I've been thinking TOO much...*_* ;;  
  
"Okaeri Na...Oro??" Kenshin stood by the door to greet two red-face friends. Kaoru holding a sword and Enishi holding Kaoru's bokken for her.  
  
"What an interesting training today ne, de gozaru ka?"  
  
***  
  
"Aoishi-sama?" Misao screamed out loud into the dense forest as she ran wildly to catch after someone she couldn't even see. "Where are you going, Aoishi-sama?!" From the casual strolling till the town boarder, Aoshi broke into a run knowing that Misao would follow. Down the hill and away from civilisation they ran for miles with Aoshi leading and Misao trying hard to catch up. She had no idea where was she, not to mention what was going on. "Aoshi!!" she cried a desperate plea, her tiredness getting the better of her. Only silence responded.  
  
"Forget it..." Misao sat down leaning on an oak tree, taking out some snacks she brought. "I need a break now." Things were fine and perfect moments ago, she almost wished to stop time. But it seems all of a sudden, the situation too a sharp turn for the worse. She know Aoshi knew well she had a limit to her strengths, that she would stop to rest eventually like she was doing now, but it seems he just went on forward, forgetting about her existence. He gave the impression of anxiousness, rushing to chase something in front, while she rushed to chase him from behind.  
  
It was always as that.  
  
"Was I ever his pace?" she lowered her snack, deep in thought. "When did I ever catch up with him?"  
  
It was not in physical context that it saddened her, her painful reflections diverted to the past where her Aoishi-sama was steps ahead, leaving her behind whether to head for Tokyo or Shishio's refuge. No matter how she cried or called out, like he was in another dimension he could not hear her.  
  
"No, no!! What are you thinking Misao?" she grasped her ear and shook her head, knocking out the sounds and thoughts of within. "He loves you! He cares for you! He had reasons to do what he did!!"  
  
Her head screamed back. 'Reasons you were never satisfied with. Reasons you do not understand.'  
  
"Nnnoooooo!!!!!" She took off into the forest at full speed.  
  
Hot tears streamed down her face, stinging her more than the thorns and twigs in her way. The gloomy skies from above rained heavily, pouring down droplets that hit her like knives as the lighting struck ruthlessly on the wet earth. Misao knew nothing but to run, to run from the truth that slapped her hard across the face. It was not by an event alone, but by the accumulation of the happenings in the past that made a scar so deep into her heart. She didn't wanted it to, but the scene of Okina, a man she treated as father brutally wounded by Aoishi, replayed in her head again and again. Two whom she loved dearly taking each other's life, none giving a damn to how she would feel. Kneeling next to Okina with half a life gone, she wanted to weep and cry her heart out, but her strong exterior restrained and kept those tears inside. Tears that flowed freely now.  
  
He did came back, but walking pass her once more to the confines of the temple, doing mediation to ease his thoughts. How she had longed to see him and be embraced by him was yet still fiercely sojourned. Yes, he needed time for his thoughts, how could she bare to be an obstruction? But what about her thoughts? Did anyone give a damn about it?  
  
"I'm not a child anymore..." she sobbed, tripping over a boulder and falling into a murky patch of mud. "Does anyone realise that?"  
  
She screamed once more in the darkness, submerging into pools of grime, no darker than she was inside.  
  
A huge tree tumbled nearby, crushing the undergrowth of the rainforest as it crashed and gradually tilted, rolling down the slippery slope at high pace.  
  
From the gruesome mud, Misao stretched her hand out, eager to grab anything to pull her out of her dirty state. Heck, someone pull me out of my state of misery too... She caught hold of a thin twin tangling from the branches above, but it was sufficient to lift her tired body out of the mud. Slowly with all the might she could muster, Misao crawled out, her fingers digging the wet earth to pull her. She was too weary to notice her surroundings. Her heart had gotten the better of her body and at that moment, her heart was badly broken.  
  
The dead wood continued tumbling down, nearing a young girl at the edge of a slope. 


	9. Personal Saviour

Chapter 9: Personal Saviour  
  
Seta Soujiro woke up to falling drops of water on his face, tears to be exact. His eyelids fluttered open to an upset Miko kneeling over him, but he just stared, not because he was heartless to do anything, but because he just couldn't make himself do anything. "Miko..."  
  
She awoke from her crying state, and hurriedly lifted her sleeve to wipe the tears away. "Sor...sorry! I...I didn't mean to wake you up! I was...I..."  
  
"Miko..." his mind was a blank, not knowing what to do. Soujiro sat up from his sleeping position, looked straight ahead and stood to walk out of the room, leaving his crying wife inside.  
  
He knew he'll face this situation sooner or later.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Miko."  
  
He walked out of the house, feeling the body's urge for fresh air. The large mansion faced abundant nature at the edge of Tokyo, near the forests and waterfalls Soujiro loved. It's been a month of pure obedience under his parents: do this, go that. Soujiro never complained, he was thankful for the kind treatment he was getting better than the ones under Shishio. But as a close follower of one of the deadliest man in Japan, he life was filled with adventures, something new to look forward to each time. Whether it was Yumi's amusing temper that never cease to make him laugh, or the Juppongatana's internal fights of who's stronger and wiser. (For Kamatari, it was who's prettier ^_^) He sighed, he missed the whole lot of them. "How's everyone doing?"  
  
Absent-mindedly walking on out of home, he didn't even notice the heavy downpour and people scurrying about for shelter.  
  
Memories start to flood in without restrain, uncontrollably to the mind yearning for it...  
  
"The strongest will survive, the weakest die."  
  
"You little bastard, how dare you go against the government!!"  
  
"Is this how you show your gratitude for our kindness bring you up?!"  
  
"Kill him, onichan."  
  
"Yes, kill him."  
  
"NOOO!! Someone save me!!! Shishio-san!! Save me!!"  
  
"Are you crying?"  
  
"I will personally kill anyone who has failed me."  
  
"No one can defeat me, I'm the strongest."  
  
"Soujiro, how long more will you take?! Hurry up and just kill him!!"  
  
"I will help anyone under my ability, I will not let anyone die before me."  
  
Under the rain, he felt a tear trickle down his cheeks. He continued walking, gradually into the dense forest.  
  
"You don't have enough money? It's okay, I'll settle the bill for you."  
  
"You don't look fine, come and rest in our home for awhile."  
  
"How are you feeling? Are you comfortable enough?"  
  
"Would you like to be our son?"  
  
"AAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The piercing scream broke him from his train of thoughts, he dashed towards where it came from.  
  
**  
  
Softly, she peered her head through the paper door, Kenshin was not in his room, or around the dojo. She figured he must have went out to run some errands and buy ingredients for dinner.  
  
"Sano? Yahiko? Are you guys there?"  
  
Silence, but not assuring enough to Kaoru.  
  
"I just got something hot from the Akabeko..."  
  
She waited, and there was still silence. NOW, that was a confirmation no one was around in the house. Tip-toed, she went to her room, trying her best not to make a sound although no one was apparent to hear it. What she wanted to do seemed like a sin, something she'll feel uncomfortable and guilty about. But, there was a slight desire to do it...  
  
Kaoru hugged the sword tightly as she went to the dojo, afraid it may fall any moment and create a din. Upon reaching there, she closed the large wooden doors, her heart anxious and impatient, her hands grouped around the sword's sheath and handle tighter. She walked to the centre of the dojo and went to a crouching position with one knee on the floor. Since morning, she had gotten dressed in training attire and stayed in her room, debating in her mind whether to attempt to use the sword Enishi gave her. It's just to satisfy my curiosity, nothing else. She assured herself but still felt that tinge of guilt. Now at the dojo, she could not and didn't want to back out. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a sword.  
  
The long blade shined brilliantly in the afternoon sun that seeped in though the cracks and shafts of the dojo. Timidly, she ran her fingers on it, accidentally cutting herself. Kaoru winced, but continue to unsheath the sword, dazzled by it's sheer strength and shapness. She had to admit, it was a genuine beauty of gold and silver. It may not fit the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu moves, but...I'll just give it a try.  
  
Standing up to an attack position, Kaoru gathered herself and tried to stay calm despite her excitement inside. She lifted the Japanese sword with both hands to the side of her face, preparing to stab forward. "Yaa!" she shouted and took a leap forward, followed by swinging the sword forcefully in an arc to the left, then down towards the right...She practiced the feel of battling with a sword, from the basic steps to more profound ones she now found the courage to do. "Hyaa!!" At the end of minutes, she was already sweating profusely, but didn't want to stop.  
  
"Lift it up higher."  
  
The voice startled her and made her weapon drop with a loud 'clang' on the wooden floor. Kaoru daren't even turn her head.  
  
"When you prepare to stab, lift the sword higher more to the back of your head. Gather more energy so your attack will be more forceful."  
  
"I...I" she stuttered. She forgot that Enishi may still be in the house. "I was just trying out, I...I wasn't training." She bent down to pick it again, her face flushed with embarrassment.  
  
"It's okay, I gave it to you for a reason, right?" he walked forward from leaning on the walls of the dojo. Enishi had been in for quite some time, but she was too engrossed in her 'fighting' she didn't notice. "Want to try it again?" he smiled. He was not quite sure why he came in, boredom perhaps. But her fighting had intrigued him out of reading quietly in his room. He himself was surprised she not notice his presence, but as he watched from a distance, he knew he made a right choice in giving his sword to her. Such grace and skill was a talent, not something easily learnt through time.  
  
"Urm..." she looked away, not sure which route she would take. One of desire? Or one of traditional ideas she had created for herself and her image. She could guess she was comfortable with the sword, well...maybe she'd like it shorter. But though she wanted to excel in it, she was not ready to affect what she had believed in for years. her liking to the sword may just be a mere fulfilment of her curiosity for now, but she feared it may grow to something more... "I..."  
  
"Here, I'll demostrate."  
  
Enishi took the sword from her, placed it's tips on the floor, pausing for a while to concentrate. Kami-san, what am I doing? From the last battle on the island with Kenshin, he had never been in another battle, never lifted the sword to someone, he kept it sheathed and unused. Even without practice, Enishi could not forget his skills he took his life to learn. In a slow motion lifting up the blade, his eyes shot open in a glare and charged forward, doing stance after stance of the ancient skill, getting better and more vigorous as he went. It was marvelling to even himself besides Kaoru, he thought it had all been wasted. But the attack proved otherwise, it shook the walls of the dojo and moved the still air harshly.  
  
He ended with a powerful blow more stunning than Saitoh's gotutsu, slicing the wind into half through the doors of the dojo and breaking a tree branch outside. If there was one thing about him that changed, it was that he was completely exhausted, huffing and puffing, breathing in short gasps. The body had became weary in the year he was at Rakuninmura. Rakuninmura...  
  
"Shit!!" Enishi cursed aloud and dropped the sword, flying out of the dojo, of the house. It's been almost a week since he brought food there. Enishi could not help but worry for them, especially the children he had become an oniisan to. "They cannot live on the rubbish the others are feeding on." he reminded himself, and cursed out loud again. "Shit!"  
  
Kamiya Kaoru just sat down, trying to recover form the spectacle she'd seen. He's improved, he's improved so much. Suddenly, she felt foolish and afraid at the same time. I should have known better, he's too strong now, at Kenshin's state, he may become a threat. A huge threat. But at the end of repeated echoes around the room, something hit her hard from staring at the sword. Enishi just dashed out without warning, as he went out previous times occasionally. Could he be...be...?  
  
She didn't want to think about it, she dashed out after him. 


	10. A Discarded Facade

**sorry! Another short one this time, but I think it's okay to end like this, I'll carry on in the next chapter ^_^;; But again a million thanks to those who've supported me -  
  
Firuze-sorry I posted without your editing this time!! Thought I was pretty slow at the fic. I'll make changes though!  
  
Chaos-Yup, Miko is not that a bad character, but she's awfully important later on.  
  
Midori-hehee...I honestly have yet to come up with a reason why Aoishi's behaving like a 'jerk' now, but I'll try to make it reasonable!  
  
and Kyouhi-opps! Uh-huh, Sou-chan is married, but from the story, it not out of his own will. Poor both of them eh?  
  
Happy reading~! Hope it's not OOC this time...=P**  
  
Chapter 10: A discarded facade  
  
  
  
Please go away. Someone please make it go away.  
  
Misao didn't feel the pain anymore, her eyelids drooped down and stop fluttering. One minute she was screaming her lungs out as a tree was about to trample her, the next minute, she couldn't hear or feel anything. But it was a moment of bliss, of sudden peace. Where it seems all her troubles are taken away and she was floating on a cloud, to somewhere no one can reach her...somewhere far.  
  
Seta Soujiro fled through the forest, his feet barely touching the ground. With the tenken, he disappeared from where he stood to up among the trees, lunging a girl on his shoulder as he rested to a halt on a sturdy branch. He was in a daze much accompanied by his misty eyes, but his ears were alert, allowing him to pick up the sound of a painful cry a mile away. He laid the girl against the trunk, catching a breath for himself. The tree that tumbled down splashed in the river below, but not harming the girl before it. "Are you o..." he paused as he got a clearer view of the person he saved. With a gentle touch he brushed away the dried mud that stuck on her face, she was unconscious but alive and breathing. "You're the Oniwabanshu girl, Makimachi Misao."  
  
Her eyelids fluttered open.  
  
**  
  
The people crowded around the black boiling pot, like witches brewing a mysterious concoction, only this time, it was for themselves, as their only staple for the day. the weird old man had again gone to Kyoto, looking for new connections to their supplies which were badly running out. A mother cradled her crying child to sleep with no avail, an elderly leaned against the wall choking and coughing he believes to be his final breath. Everyone was in a lethargic mood, not that it was better other days but this day...they knew nothing to look forward to.  
  
"Dinner's ready," the head of the group called out. "Only for those who hasn't eaten yesterday."  
  
Food had to be divided amongst the lot, assigning a meal per person per two days. Children were an exception.  
  
"Please..." a young man cried out from his dilapidated hut made from scrap materials found along the streets. "Please let me eat today! Please..! My stomach is hurting so much...please..." Others joined in, begging for a meal barely sufficient for even a cat. The chief shook his head in despair, no comforting words could emit from his mouth, he himself one of the many who starved. Just as the cries got louder, a man ran in through the entrance.  
  
"Go...gomen nasai!"  
  
He was feeling terrified, not for himself but for the hordes of suffering people before his eyes. Never before had he felt pity for others, nor shown sympathy in the least way. He had moulded a heart of stone to love no one but Tomoe, his oneesan. The rest of the world could die for all I care. That was the reminder that pounded in his head for years and each time he killed with a smile.  
  
"I'm really really sorry! I..."  
  
He walked forward to them with the bags of food. It was body over mind at this moment, he couldn't help feeling terribly upset for being a cause to their misery. The others gawked at the food he brought, but none could find a reason to blame him for...lateness. He never did promised them anything anyway. But for him, at that moment he so wanted to help, to reach out a hand always used for carrying the sword. His mind was a confusion but he hecked it, slowly bending down to pick up a crying child hungry for food. "Maa maa, where's your mother? I'll get you something to eat, ok?" The toddler buried his face in the man's shoulder and cried, as a soothing hand stroke his back, calming him. "Gomen nasai ne, Oniisan has forgot about you. But Oniisan will not do it again, ne? So don't cry...don't cry..."  
  
The child stiffled and sat on his arm, slowly beaming one of the most beautiful smile Enishi has ever seen. His heart felt joy, rushing in from a long time ago.  
  
A soft tear came down, and another. Kaoru stood behind a wall, taken aback at the sight, but stunned and touched deeply by the fatherly scene a once mafia boss portrayed.. Enishi Yukishiro, a mystifying man indeed. But above all, at that moment he was wonderful man in her eyes. She strode forward and without a word, carried the child from his arms and tilted her head to one side, gesturing him to take care of the rest. Enishi let out a gasp of shock when he saw her, but seeing her understanding smile, grinned and nodded back. The child, tired and sleepy, snuggled in a Kaoru's silk kimono like a wrapping of a blanket, closed his eyes and dozed off comfortably.  
  
Together without a need for explanation, they served the people in Rakuninmura, Enishi cooking and Kaoru tending to the sick. The grateful and delighted expressions kept them going, a payment no amount of money could buy.  
  
**  
  
"You...you are..." Misao whispered, finding it hard to speak from her sore voice. Her hands behind tried to push her to a sitting position, but gave way, she was temporarily too weak. "Don't move now," a hand on her shoulders gently lowered her down. "Relax for a while." Soujiro had placed both of them on the soft ground, it being safer than up among the trees. As much as she wanted to shove the hand away and stand, she knew she could not, and had to rest for now. Her whole body ached from the previous incident, but her heart seemed to began to heal. Misao touched her forehead and covered her eyes, laughing softly. "Hahaa...an Oniwabanshu leader, saved again by another Juppongatana member. What's to become of me? Hahaa..." She snickered cruely of herself as raindrops flowed down the leaves from the tree and splattered on her face, cleansing her from the dirt she accumulated. Her uniform stuck to her wet body, sores and bruises were present on her legs and arms. But one deep cut on her knee was being prodded. "Oww!! What do you think you're doing?" Misao pulled away from Soujiro. It was then she noticed her legs were resting on his pants and he was treating her injury. "I told you not to move" he reminded her, the trademark smiles he usually wore becoming serious, but not angry. She winced at the pain, however calmed herself down to be obedient for once. From what she could remember, it must have been Soujiro who saved her. Whatever...whoever, I can't really be bothered. Hidden from his view, Misao blushed, she had never been so close to a man before.  
  
"There, but I'm not sure if you're okay anywhere else." Soujiro gently put her legs down on the ground. "If everything else is fine, I think I'll go now." he started to turn to walk away. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts he couldn't perceive it's meaning, the past haunted him and wouldn't let go. In a few moments, he would forget about saving a girl from the forest, if it wasn't for her...  
  
"Wait!" Misao called out, grabbing a trunk to help her stand. She needed rest but would not take any. "You've...helped me. Thanks."  
  
"It was nothing." Soujiro glanced back at her and continued walking. He didn't know why his fingers that brushed her face were now rubbing against each other, as if retaining something.  
  
"No, you've saved my life, much as I hate to admit it. Really...thanks." Misao whispered, her voice getting softer as she remembered what Soujiro had saved her from and how she had gotten that state. She felt at a lost, didn't want to go back to the Aoiya and see familiar faces that would seem to hurt her more. In truth she hadn't found a reason for Aoishi's sudden disappearance, but it did not matter. He disappeareed, period. And it's not the first time. some limit had been crossed and she's not in the mood of searching for him again.  
  
He looked at her lost in another world, and smiled inwardly. He was too, lost in his own world of confusions, never seem to be able to shake of a past he felt regretful about. To see Miko's sad face of doing a duty he could not do, it was painful to head back home.  
  
"Ano...are you going anywhere for now?"  
  
"No, and you?"  
  
"No, would you like to join me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Hence both of them, a slight distance apart, walked into the forest with no direction to care about. 


	11. Relations

**sorry this took suck a long time!! Hope it was worth the wait though!^_^**  
  
Chapter 11: Relations  
  
  
  
The sky grew darker with every passing cloud, the rain has stopped to reveal the bright sun once again, but only for a moment, for evening was coming.  
  
Misao stopped in her tracks among the woods to glance at the stars now appearing overhead, a brilliant display of sparkling lights twinkling in the soft darkness, enveloping her in comfort isolation. She placed the twigs she was looking for to start a fire on the ground and sat down on the greenery, now bathed with a slight glow from the moon. It's been some time since she'd relaxed like this, she has been too preoccupied with conflicts of the mind to admire and smell the flower on her way. Leaning back, Misao folded her arms behind her head and took in a deep breath of fresh night air, it was cooling and refreshing, momentarily cleansing her from the troubles she faced and the questions she has yet found answers to.  
  
Where is Aoishi-sama?  
  
Why did he go?  
  
What is she doing out in the forest alone?  
  
No, she corrected herself, she wasn't alone. Seta Soujiro was her travelling partner for the time being, she chose to follow him after all. He wasn't much a companion, there were little exchange of words between them, but it beats being out in the cold by herself big time.  
  
"Misao-san," she heard him called out, he was by the lake. "your dinner's ready."  
  
"Hai, I'm coming." she replied, but urged herself to stay a little longer to gaze at the mesmerizing stars that currently eased away her problems.  
  
**  
  
She wasn't sure what it was, whatever it was, kept her smiling throughout the long journey home. Following some distance behind was Enishi, having a wide grin across his face hidden from view.  
  
I helped people today...hmm...that's not something out of the norm. Oh well...whatever.  
  
Kaoru was still holding the sword she brought along, but tucked it in her belt of her training outfit. It felt quite comfortable there, as if that's where it belonged. But her thoughts quickly found another answer, she was tired from the day's chores, this time not her own, but others' chores. Crossing the bridge, she halted for a while and went to the side, leaning over the rail. The bright round moon reflected blearily over the slow running water, as ripples made the stars shine inconsistently - like twinkling in the cool dark.  
  
"See the river?" she spoke softly, still facing straight ahead. "It makes the sky sparkle."  
  
"You don't like it to be still? That's what the real night sky is." he answered, approaching near leaning over too.  
  
"Mmm...why accept the truth when you can change it?" her voice went lower and quieter, more of speaking to herself. "What's wrong with changing it...?"  
  
"You change the truth to an illusion," he bent lower, eyes fixed on the water. "Isn't that lying to yourself?"  
  
"I don't know...but you do it too. You thought your sister was smiling at you." she turned her head towards him, her heart missing a fear when she said those words, knowing it meant no harm, just a fact. Enishi became silent for a while, expressionless, and she wondered if she should have even mentioned Tomoe.  
  
"I'm sorry, I..."  
  
"Sometimes the truth hurts, so I'd prefer the illusion." he faced her, a slight smile to his face. "Who knows, she may be smiling at me."  
  
Now facing each other, she dared herself to look straight in his eyes, looking for some meaning in them, searching his true self. His eyes held so much, the traumatic experience of childhood, the devastating lost of a loved one that scarred his heart, and the finding of...finding of...another something to focus of now. He maturity way surpasses his age, but yet still moulded him to who he was now, learning from all that he went through. A pain slowly being healed.  
  
"Kenshin once told me that I was naive, to think that a sword-fighting skill was not meant for killing. But he liked my idea too, though he knew it was impossible to just use it for defence."  
  
"And do you still think what you earlier assumed? A sword-fighting skill purely for defence uses?"  
  
"I...no, cause it's a fact it's not."  
  
"Won't you prefer the illusion you made of it?"  
  
"Of course, but it's a fact that..."  
  
"What if Kenshin didn't tell you that? And no one told you."  
  
"..."  
  
"Illusion of fact?"  
  
"Does it matter? It's a fact he told me."  
  
Enishi laughed, pushing away from the railing he was leaning on and taking the bag of stuff he left on the floor. He left Kaoru with a dazed look.  
  
"Come on, let's go." He beamed at her from walking ahead. "Unless you want to watch the sunrise on the river too!"  
  
"No...I..." she was stunned at the sudden abruptness of his leave, but regained composure. "Hey! What do you mean by that?"  
  
He laughed in return and led the way home.  
  
**  
  
Both of them avoided sensitive questions, not to probe too deep into painful past and change the peaceful world they want to get accustomed to. A world without any cares.  
  
But they knew it can't be forever.  
  
Misao and Soujiro just went about their lives as if nothing happened, behaving as normal to live in the wild. There were little exchange of words between them, both didn't try make the effort. Although not shown, their characters could not hold on to a mask of submissive solidity for too long; Misao was and is a cheerful bubbly girl, even talkative; whereas Soujiro among the Juppongatana conversed the most. But knowingly, Soujiro had a stronger restrain on himself, Misao just couldn't take the silence no longer.  
  
"Ne Soujiro-san," she started one morning while they were cooking breakfast- barbecued freshly caught fish, still flipping away as it was cooked. "what was it like, in the...you know, Juppongatana?"  
  
"Ee?" He peeked out from the bushes, packing their sleeping material to move along with the journey.  
  
"Yup, the Juppongatana, you were the best among them, right?" she quipped, a little more daring to strike the conversation. It wasn't a good topic but anything will do to get them talking.  
  
"Hmm..." he emerged out, looking a little untidy from the sound sleep he just woke up from. The otherwise well-combed hair was now ruffled all over his face, his shirt slightly unbuttoned and crumpled. In no way he resembled the much feared Tenken no Soujiro, but coming to think of it, he never did anyway. Misao could not contain her laughter.  
  
"What's so funny?" he pouted, still sleepy but a little more cheerful than before. He too, needed someone to talk to. Someone that would not remind him of the past, someone that would keep him smiling.  
  
"Hahaa...nothing, I guess the Juppongatana treated you like a little brother! Not their senior!"  
  
"Well..." he scratched his head, thinking of the times he and Kamatari would make fun of Yumi, and when he went out on his own without informing anyone, he would be scolded by Shishio later. It was memorable, like a childhood he never had. "I had most of my time accompanying Shishio-san on his travels...we went around Japan." His eyes sparkled at that thought, remembering the beautiful scenery he'd seen. On those travels by boat, he would stand on the deck all the time to marvel at the astounding sight before him, and Japan would portray it's beauty in all seasons before his eyes.  
  
"Around Japan?" she wanted to criticize the horrible villain he had for a master, but decided not to. Soujiro respected him, and she had to, at least, respect that. She won't want anyone insulting her Aoshi-sama too, no matter whatever he did.  
  
"Yes, around Japan." he now strode forward to sit opposite her, taking one of the cooked fish she made and chewing it. "In Osaka during autumn, the trees are so pretty in hues of orange, yellow and light green."  
  
"Yes! I know, I've been there too!" she recalled when she was out searching for Aoishi, making sure each step she took to admire all that was around her. "You should stand where all the leaves are falling, it's just like snow!"  
  
"Snow? Really?" As he ate, he took some scallops and threw them in the fire, straining his ear to hear the 'pop' sound, which indicates the opening of the shells, the meat inside was cooked. "Hokkaido has the loveliest snow, but it's really cold too. I almost had frostbite then." he chuckled.  
  
Now it was her to be curious. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Hahaa...the whole crew onboard the ship were freezing, none wanting to leave their rooms. And Shishio-sama, since he was burning hot internally, scolded all of us for being lazy and making a big fuss about the cold. We were approaching our destination yet no one moved! Hahaa...not even Yumi- san, who buried herself under heaps of blankets!! Hahaa...!" At such memorable instances reminiscing in his mind, Soujiro eyes became slightly watery with fondful tears. He did enjoy himself with them.  
  
Misao looked closely, and felt a tinge of pitiness for him. Losing the only joy he had, even if the joy was only applicable to him, and a threat to others. What would it take to make him happy? She wondered, but only to herself, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Well, I've had fun with Jiya, part of the Oniwabanshu." she too, wanted to recall the past. "There was once he fetched me from school, and while all the other children walked home, he carried me on his sturdy shoulders, till I almost bumped my head in Aoiya." Soujiro sat straight and listened intently , picturing the interesting scene in his mind. "I was so happy then, cause all the kids in school used to make fun of me having a freak for a friend, I'll beat them up for making fun of Jiya!! Hehee...but that day, they were envying me, because Jiya was tossing me around, even up to the branches of the trees! They watched us and began to cry to their parents for the same thing!"  
  
The scallops 'popped', Soujiro with any chopsticks at that moment, took a twig and attempted to drag it out of the burning coals of fire. It's natural juice made the shell slippery, furthermore, the twig caught fire.  
  
"Here, let me." Misao pushed his hand away, and with her own bare ones, dug in bravely to retrieve 5 fresh succulent scallops. Her unquivering hand gentle placed them on a clean leaf, before rubbing the dirt and soot away from her fingers. "There! Enjoy!"  
  
Soujiro longer interested in the scallops, he grabbed her hand and opened it to see. "What in the world were you doing?!" he scolded her with a fierce tone, shouted through clenched teeth and scaring Misao a little. "You baka! You could have hurt yourself badly, did you know?!"  
  
"I..." Misao hurriedly pulled back, bringing it to her chest. "It's ok, I'm allright. I learnt it from Okina, we used to always barbacue sweet potatoes that Okon grew. See?" She showed her hand to Soujiro again. "No cuts! No bruises!"  
  
But Soujiro was far from relieved. He stood up, and went back to the bushes, his back to her in a cold way. "Don't do that to me again."  
  
Do that to him? What did I do to him? But she smiled, and felt a sense of joy inside. "Hai, gomen nasai." I won't.  
  
"Don't eat them all, save some scallops for me." he said, smiling back. 


	12. Arrival at unknown destination

**Finally...Fanfiction.net is up and running...^_^**  
  
Chapter 12 : Arrival at Unknown Destination  
  
  
  
"What?" Kenshin asked again, this time leaning forward to peer closer. "What did you say again?"  
  
"Ken-chan," Kaoru sighed, sipping her green tea slowly. "I've said it more than 10 times! I would be teaching for free at the Rakuninmura, where you would accompany me and Enishi-san take over my actual paying students. How's that idea?" she put her cup down and went over to him squatting by the ground doing the laundry. "Ne, Ken-chan?" Kaoru whispered in his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"Yo...yokatta...but what made you suddenly want to...Rakuninmura?" he gently pried her hands off him, turning around to look at her closely again. "What happened?"  
  
She tilted her head to the side, now a little frustrated. "Does it matter? Isn't it a good thing?" Kaoru pushed away his hands on her shoulders, standing up and retreating back to the dojo, where Yahiko was waiting. "It's okay if you don't want to come, I'll ask Yahiko-kun to follow then."  
  
He just looked blankly at her.  
  
**  
  
"Soujiro!! Where are you?" she called out again into dense greenery, her view shrouded by more branches sticking out in her way, one which she put an arm on and rested for a while. After a week together, she forgo the prefix to his name as they both grew closer, each time knowing each other better though chats that lasted for hours into the night, in the day they would resume on the journey with him mostly walking far ahead of her, leading the way. That particular day she was more tired than ever, they had not approached a town yet and supplies was running low. Furthermore, their journey was an impromptu one, they had barely supplies to last a day, much less a week. Misao wasn't coping well with that, she had been sneezing since she woke up. "Soujiro no baka, where are you??" She asked again, more anxiously this time. She didn't want to lose someone again, not after having recently lost one in the same circumstances, in a forest. She felt desperate to hear an answer, any answer would do.  
  
"Who are you calling a baka?" a voice behind lifted her up and carried her to a higher branch, just like when they first met.  
  
"What the..." she pushed away from him before her tiredness gave in and she fell into his arms. "please go slower next time, I can't catch up...Aachoo!"  
  
"You can't catch up?" he was startled at her falling, but didn't move to disturb her resting on his lap. He remembered telling Yumi how comfortable it was on her lap...maybe...oh well, back to the present.  
  
"This speed used to be easy for you. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," Misao managed to sit up at that. She didn't want to be weak again and depend on another, be a burden to another. "Let's...Aachoo!...continue." She forced a smile through rubbing her nose. Branch by branch she climbed down, refusing his help and walked ahead when she reached the ground. She knew he was behind her closely but didn't want to look around, for she also knew he was concerned about her. The nearest lake was miles away, and the forest they're in happen to be weirdly barren, except for a few birds who flew too fast to be caught. Misao ignored her grumbling stomach and went on, pretending to be normal when she was far from it. After a few more painful hours for her, a ray of hope shone, faintly at first but becoming brighter as they neared it.  
  
"Look, Soujiro!! I see a town up ahead! A town!!" With all the might she could muster, she sprinted full speed towards the clearing that got bigger with view. "Come on, Let's go!!"  
  
"Hai." a soft voice behind her assured.  
  
The bright sun shone ahead, splendidly illuminated little dews of the damp morning that hung on tips of grasses, making what they were trudging on seem like a crystal carpet. But more of it was ahead, they neared large land masses and more greenery, this time with a sweet scent that floated in the air with it, a sweet familiar scent.  
  
"Misao," he easily caught her pace and stepped in line with her. "know that smell?" Soujiro smiled.  
  
"Is it, is it O-cha?"  
  
"Yes, now you know where we are?"  
  
She eagerly nodded her head, making a smile she hasn't been able to make the past few days. Finally they were away, away from it all. They were in agricultural land overflowing with fresh stalks of green tea, one of the largest manufacture in Japan. They were in a place where no one would recognised them, find them, to dig up pasts they so wanted to escape from. It was worth the wait, and at the same time, scary to think how easy it could be to just let go everything they had in Kyoto, Tokyo. But for now, it didn't matter, for they, they were in Shizuoka.  
  
A new life? together? Those were the only things in their heads. Unknowingly, their bodies found the answer already.  
  
**  
  
He stood in his room, looking at the sabakatou and the bokken Kaoru had just passed him. Both were weapons he could easily manoeuvre around, useful yet not essential to bring both. But it was a habit, so Kenshin slid his sword under his belt and brought the bokken along, trying to think positively, or at least act supportive in front of Kaoru, lest worry or anger her again.  
  
The whole Kenshin-gumi came along, Yahiko was specially excited at the prospect of being a teacher, after being a student all the while, he very much wanted to pass skills along to his juniors since Yutarou was not counted as one. 'Yahiko-SAMA!' That's what they would call me! Hahaa...  
  
Sano chewed on the fishbone left over from breakfast and behaving normally, as if it was usual others were dying to learn from him. He was a little disappointed when told it was voluntary work, which meant no payment in money or better, food. But heck, he had nothing to do anyway, and thought it was a good chance to repay Kaoru's kindness for helping Miko with her marriage. Miko...I wonder how she's doing...  
  
Megumi came along too, ever ready to tend to any injury, except two she couldn't cure - death and stupidity, she repeated before especially in front of Sano. It was sweet of him to give her flowers yesterday, if only they weren't chrysanthemums, a symbolic flower offered to the deceased. "They rest were sold out!" he argued, after which complained of her ungratefulness in his red-hot cheeks.  
  
Rakuninmura, a place for those who rejected to live in the Meiji era and fall back on their own, let go of the past and live a life where everything was lost. A feared place avoided by women and children, now awaits 6 people, including Tsubame who wanted to see and help out, to bring a new hope in their lives, something to their nothing.  
  
"What...what is it?" a burly one whom you can smell foul odour a mile away greeted them. He recognised Kaoru from that day with Enishi. "Have you come here to bring more food?"  
  
"We're here to bring you something better than that!" she quipped.  
  
"'Duh...what's better than food?"  
  
Megumi took this chance to pat Sano's shoulders. "'Look, we've found your brother." she whispered in his ear. He eyed her sarcastically.  
  
"So many things!" Kaoru smiled, her joyous mood was unwavering. "The sun, the trees, the birds..."  
  
"Ano...Kaoru-dono..." started Kenshin.  
  
"...the world, the people..."  
  
"Weird old man! We've got a crazy one here!" he shouted back inside. "they brought their crazy friends along!"  
  
Tsubame hid behind Kaoru's kimono.  
  
"Crazy?!" Yahiko shouted back.  
  
"Nono...we're here to help you! You see,..." Kaoru continued.  
  
"Ano..."  
  
"Ne, Jou-chan, just forget about him. There are more people inside."  
  
"Ah...the baka speaks."  
  
"Baka?!"  
  
Tsubame hid lower.  
  
"WHAT'S THIS?!?" A voice bellowed from the depths of Rakuninmura. "CAN'T WE EVER HAVE PEACE AROUND HERE?!?"  
  
Tsubame grabbed Kaoru's kimono so hard she could have fell backwards. Akabeko needs me...Akabeko needs me...she chanted to herself.  
  
The lady who led the group stepped forward. She was determined to get her chance. "Can we speak to the leader here?" Kaoru tried to maintain her subtle composure.  
  
From the rustle in the darkness encompassed by dust and dirt galore, a tall man stood out with a frown on his face. His hakama was torn and patched untidily, his shorts no different, but he stood up unashamed, striding forward in large steps.  
  
"Oh, it's you again. I haven't thanked you last time."  
  
"Oro?...again...? Kaoru-dono..."  
  
"It's ok, I brought my friends along this time."  
  
He glanced at the weapons all of them were holding, and felt a tinge of threat. "Weird old man is not here, I'm currently in-charge. What do you want now? Trouble?"  
  
"Bakaero, does it look like we want to attack this place?" Sano, who just can't be silent for too long.  
  
"We're here to teach, that's what!" Yahiko added.  
  
"Teach?" he stared at them dumbfounded, as if he never heard more absurd stuff. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"*sigh* How many times must..." Megumi quickly covered Sano's mouth. "Kaoru..." she urged.  
  
"We are gonna teach all of you fighting skills, which you can use for your defence, and perhaps, survival." she got the hint from Megumi and explained.  
  
"Fighting skills? We already know them!!"  
  
"We...we do?" the first burly guy whom they met, asked in uncertainly.  
  
"Yes! Have you forgotten? Our pride! Our honour!"  
  
"THEY have pride? Are they serious?" Sano asked in disbelief. He pulled away Megumi's hand from his mouth but held onto it. Megumi herself left it there in his warm embrace. They both were at the back row, hence no one noticed even as they intertwined fingers.  
  
"Oh no...not THAT one..." Yahiko slapped his forehead.  
  
"Yahiko-kun, you know of they attacks?" questioned Kaoru curiously.  
  
"the '48 crushing people stance'!!" he bellowed out loud "Hmm...you weren't part of it...ne?"  
  
The other burly guy shook his head. "No, I couldn't make it to the finals."  
  
"Oh boy, it's THAT one." the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu deshi smiled knowingly. "You want to see REAL stuff??" He took out his bokken.  
  
"Hey, even you came along!" the deputy leader bent down to meet Tsubame face to face, quite ignoring Yahiko.  
  
"Ko...Konichiwa!" she did a little bow.  
  
"Good girl!" he patted her head and stood back up, giving the little timid girl a reason to smile. "Ah! I see your intentions" He faced Kaoru now. "Forgive my imprudence, I'm Chutsu!" he rubbed his right hand behind him and brought it out, remembering what hospitality manners Enishi had taught him before.  
  
"Chutsu-san?" Kaoru stared at his hand, then proceeded to shake it like how she's seen western people do. "Kamiya Kaoru here, and this is my assistant, Kenshin, Himura Kenshin."  
  
"Ano...Hajimemashite." Kenshin did a slight bow, he hoped enough to hide his face, the people in Rakuninmura recognised him for sure.  
  
"Himura Kenshin? I know I've seen you before!"  
  
"Of course! He's the legendary Ba..." Yahiko boasted out loud.  
  
"Baka!" Kaoru was stunned her deshi could spurt out something like that.  
  
"Baka? The legendary baka??"  
  
"Oorrroooo...." yes, they did recognised him.  
  
**  
  
With the rest of the money they had, a night in an inn was well worth it. Soujiro and Misao trotted upstairs to the room and flopped flat on the bed. The money could rent but a room, the rest were needed for food. At their tiredness, they didn't mind sharing rooms, just grateful to have one.  
  
"Aah..." she rested lazily on her futon she shabbily laid out. The bath and dinner could come later, and true enough, her rumbling stomach was forgotten in a minute, Misao was fast asleep.  
  
Soujiro looked amusedly at her sleeping form from a corner, such trackings were normal when running errands for Shishio, what he went through with Misao was just the tip of it. But harmless to take a rest and catch up with his thinking. There was much to do and settle, a new life can't be started just on willpower alone. Somehow, amidst all the trouble faced, there was now a presense of calmness that surrounded him. A calmness felt so close, as when they entered the town together, hand in hand, fingers clasped closely without hesitation or uneasiness, as if it was what they wanted to do all along.  
  
Soujiro looked at his hand that just left that warmness, and glanced at the person who gave him it. Getting up, he rolled out another futon neatly and placed the headrest on it. Soujiro knelt by Misao, sleeping soundly and all, and carried her up, trying his best not to least wake her. Softly again he placed her on his futon, and covered her with a warm blanket.  
  
Like a little angel...  
  
Soujiro bent closer, a hand brushing stray strands of hair from her face, and revealed a sweet glow that brought an even wider smile to his face, a genuine one.  
  
She fidgeted under his touch, which made him held his breath for an instant. But Misao with her eyes still closed lifted her head and sank in more under the thick covers which she pulled closer to her cold body. Soujiro breathed out a sigh of relief, he didn't want to face an awkward situation.  
  
"Oyasumi nasai, Misao-chan." he whispered, and got up to rest somewhere else. 


	13. The Dreaded Past

**I deeply apologise for my lateness in submitting this chapter!!(_ _) gomen ne!!Thank you for you all reviews so far, so encouraging! *sobz* This part may be boring, I admit I didn't had a plot when I was writing the previous few. Now I do!! I do!!*jumps excitedly* Thank you all for reading and showing your support, how you enjoy this one ne!!** Disclaimer (applicable since chapter 1... I forgot to put!!opps..) : I do not in anyway own Rurouni Kenshin nor the original chatacters inside. But one day...one day...*cries in dispair* *Oh, and thank you Kyouhi for identifuing the paragraph thing, I was 'omg' when I saw it =P*  
  
Chapter 13 : The Dreaded Past  
  
The burning sun gleamed strongly with a overwhelming desire to scorch the earth that day. A day like this could only spell lethargy, well, to all except on run-down slum where unlike elsewhere, was bustling with activity.  
  
"Mou! I need more milk!! Yahiko-san, would you please pass the next bottle to me please?" Tsubame asked in a tone a little louder than usual. This work was more strenuous than the one at the Aakabeko, causing her timidness to slowly peel off revealing a capable girl who sure knows what she is doing.  
  
Yahiko, oblivious to the world, even Kaoru's screaming, could still, miraculously be all ears out for little Tsubame-chan, no matter how small her voice be to the commotion in the back. "Milk bottle? Oh...ok, just give me a moment." He carefully put down his knife on the chopping board, making sure it's out of reach to children running about. Apparently he was preparing lunch, his second but confident attempt, the first being a success even Sano would admit. "Here you go." he passed Tsubame a filled bottle prepared earlier, and dwelled there, putting his culinary skills to a rest to be with...someone that could make his break worthwhile. She didn't even have to try.  
  
The children at Rakuninmura were joyous, prancing about with new found energy they thought they had lost long ago. Just in a matter of short time, their new friends from the Kamiya Dojo brought smiles to their faces, they excitedly embraced the coming of what Yahiko termed, the Kenshin-gumi. Elders at a corner played chess with Kenshin and Sano, Sano of course being the one to cheer them up for he never did won a match. Yahiko and Tsubame would take care of the 'housework', cooking and washing, with Yahiko occasionally helping Kaoru out with teaching the young Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Everyone got Kaoru so engrossed with her teaching she'd never had time to attempt cooking - to the relief of everyone.  
  
"Keep your back straight!!" Kenshin could hear Kaoru though she was quite far away. Rakuninmura didn't have a proper dojo, so training was done in the open air. "Jine, don't slouch!"  
  
"But Okachan, the bokken is heavy!!" a little voice winced, bring about laughters from the rest of the group.  
  
"Ha! You call this heavy? Wait till you hold a REAL sword!! This is like a feather!"  
  
"Sure! that's because you're big and heavy like a pig!" he retorted, more laughters echoed around.  
  
*whack* *whack* Kaoru was keen to dismiss the noise.  
  
"Stop quarrelling! Continue on with your moves, with more force now and keep your back straight!"  
  
"HAI!" the students chorused in unison, and moved with grace what their sensei had taught them for the past week. Only 4 year-old Jine was a little clumsy when it came to lifting the bokken above the head for a shinai stroke. He was the youngest among all the students ranging from 4 to 12, but still insisted to learn and become stronger. "I want to be like my dad!" he would always say to her, calling Kaoru his Okachan. The young boy with messy hair and ruffled clothes would always be seen running about and playing pranks on the elders. He was a late addition to the group, and came soon after Kenshin left there. The police had found him wandering about the streets searching for his mother. When Kaoru arrived, little Jine ran to her and cried his heart out, claiming he found his Okasan. It seemed she bared much resemblence to his missing mother. Chutsu had advised her to 'play-along' lest break his hopeful heart.  
  
"Ne, Okachan, will you bring me out today? Will you??" he tugged on her skirt, a sign he wanted to be carried. Training was already over and they were enjoying lunch. Kaoru bent down and lifted him up like a motherly figure.  
  
"I'm not sure Jine-chan, but I think Kenshin-san is free today. Would you want to go ask him?" he looked at her blankly and confused, then smiled.  
  
"I see! So when he goes, you will go to! Okay, I'll go ask your 'koishii' then!!" he winked, jumped down and scurried off, before she could get him.  
  
"Mou!!"  
  
However, no one could understand why he didn't associate his father with Kenshin, nor mind his 'Okachan' being with him. It was not clear what he really see Kaoru as. But it was obvious he dearly loved Kaoru in a special way, with no one ever able to replace her.  
  
**  
  
"Mmm...smells good!" Makimachi Misao leaned over the doorframe, peering ernestly at dinner, or more, the one cooking dinner. "I didn't know Juppongatanas are trained in cooking too!"  
  
"Hahaa..." he laughed, as he skilfully diced the radish neatly and threw them in the grilling hot plate, watching them sizzle and excrete sweet- smelling juices. The vegetables blended well with the sliced beef, which were turning from a translucent dark crimson to a lighter shade of red.  
  
"Shishio-san doesn't cook, nor can Yumi-san (they'd rather not risk it). I learnt this from my childhood, when dinner wasn't given to me and I had to make my own."  
  
Misao felt bad for reminding him of his sad past, but Soujiro didn't seem to mind. He just smiled on. "Of course there weren't nice ingredients such as these," he turned the radish over, the cooked side a golden brown. "I grilled whatever I could find from the farm, or stole from the kitchen!! Hahaa..."  
  
She laughed along with him, barely able to imagine a nice and innocent looking boy sneaking into the kitchen late at night. He wouldn't stand near as thief, much less an assassin. It amazed her each time she wondered upon his self, his true self and what he'd become. They had been living as 'brother and sister' for a week now, together in a quiet peaceful town overflowing with a green-tea scent.  
  
Okashira? Aoshi? Jiya? Oniwabanshu? Those issues have been bugging her badly, she know they would catch up fast with her.  
  
Father, Mother...Miko. One past discarded after another. The journey had barely started, yet he know they were far from ending.  
  
Both had troubled minds, currently ignoring them for the rest they had settled for now, a temporary but satisfying rest. They know they have to leave Shizuoka soon.  
  
Misao cleared the dishes, finding it more diificult to move around in the kimono Soujiro had bought her. "It's part of the disguise!" he grinned then, doing a direct contrast to her scowl "What's wrong with me current outfit?" but she knew the answers, Soujiro was definately not the first one who told her about it. He just shrugged and smiled. "Let down your hair too," he added, talking outside the room she was changing in. "You'll look...well...prettier." Misao was tying her obi when she paused at that. 'Prettier?' No one had ever used that term to phrase her. It was always 'tom-boy', 'bold', 'strong', 'skilled'. Not pretty, not anywhere near that. It seemed that was a phrase reserved only for people like Kaoru. She sighed. Kaoru was the model of 'ladyness', a classic example of how a sweet young dame of 17 would look, or what others hope she would look. Misao checked herself in the mirror. 'I'm only a year younger but nothing like her, or Megumi-san, or even Tsubame-san.' The kimono fitted nicely, she was surprised how he knew of her exact size. But it didn't matter, for she felt a feeling as she gazed at the reflection of herself. 'So this is what it's like to be Omasu and Okon.' With a swift tug, smooth ebony black hair came cascading down again, naturally unbinding the intricate locks and falling on the silky fabric. She gave a sigh and opened the door.  
  
**  
  
'Thank goodness they are beginners.' Enishi heaved a relieved sigh. Kaoru had forgotten about one thing important when she assigned her students to him. He knew nothing about the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu she usually taught. The dojo owner had been surprised to see someone else than Kaoru, the students plainly disappointed. But just as fast as they felt they were let down, they all backed off in awe at the little demonstration of his skills. (remember he forgot most of it) Seniors sought to ask for tips whilst juniors and beginners seek him fervently, requesting to learn the replica of his demo. The dojo master was startled. Enishi's fighting techniques are obviously the opposite of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's. Totally offensive, brutal, used mainly for a quick kill.  
  
"Enishi-san," he called out politely, interrupting him from teaching a young one how to hold his bokken properly. "Could I have a word with you please?"  
  
"Certainly." he excused himself, and walked towards the old man. Even his walking style carries much - confidence, zest, and if taken wrongly, could seem to pose a threat. "Yes?" direct and demanding too.  
  
"I hear Kaoru-san is busy at the moment, doing some...erm.."  
  
"Voluntary work. Yes, I have been told to take over her for a while." Enishi spoke with fluency, never missing a word, but also trying not to be rude to the elder.  
  
"Yes, yes, and you're doing a fine job. The students have already taken a liking to you." he encouraged. At a corner of the dojo were a bunch arguing who could be the first to master the skill Enishi taught. Young juniors. The seniors were impartial, they have seen Kenshin fought before. "Who is the better one?" they debated.  
  
"Ah, thank you for your flatter. There is a slight problem though..." Enishi started to explain.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid there is." The elder spoke gravely. The skill of Enishi a very powerful one, just could not be used in the dojo. He had assured the students' parents his reason for letting them learn the fine art of kenjutsu. Not to be another gangster polling the streets with an unruly bunch, but to provide security, defence amidst dangerous or needy times. He admits kenjutsu a killing technique, as Himura-san mentioned before, but plans to use it in another purpose. Having lived through the hard times of the Bakumutsu, he knows what's it's like when a skill is abused.  
  
"About the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu..." he'll need to tell Kaoru he can't take this job. Anything, but pass on such dreaded skills to another innocent being.  
  
"Yes, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu..." a line has to be drawn, for the good of everyone. Only such type of fighting would be taught in the walls of his dojo, where pupils look upon him with respect and reverence.  
  
"I..." he broke off halfway when the door suddenly slammed open, a looming shadow outside. 


	14. Occurences

**Gomen ne for not updating for a long time! Thanks for supporters and Soujiro/Misao + Enishi/kaoru fans! Here's a short one, but I promise the next would be soon and much longer, with waff and new advances seen!! ^_^**  
  
Chapter 14 : Occurrences  
  
Stunned silence fell upon the both of them, they just...well...used their eyes. In deep observation she stared at his expression while he stared at her whole new image.  
  
"Very...very..." Soujiro started in a stutter. "beautiful..."  
  
"Thank...thank you." her cheeks felt a burning hot sensation, dyeing her face in an ominous pink. "Well, I'll better start cooking, erm...it's not early." she turned to walk away, finding herself caught in another awkward situation. The setting sun peeked through the clouds, giving it's last yawn before turning in.  
  
"No," he reached out and held her arm. "I'll cook this time." showing her one of his warmest smiles. She felt her heart flutter at that, worse still, it was not the first time. The uneasiness around him had begun to start some time ago. Specifically, it was since he carried her for the first time and saved her life. "O...ok." she returned his smile and proceeded on walking. It was a pleasant evening to go out for a stroll and be back just in time for dinner...  
  
...to which she was clearing the dishes to...  
  
...and found the core reason she didn't want to wear a kimono in the first place...  
  
*sweat*  
  
"Arrggh...I STILL don't see anything wrong with wearing plain simple shorts and shirt." she grumbled as she placed the plates and bowls on the rack, after washing them. Apparently her sleeves had gotten soaked with water. Misao tries frantically to splatter them off, only further wetting herself and the rest of the kimono. "That's it!! I'm changing back! To heck if it's weird to others." She was about to turn back to head to her room when there was a muffled sound coming from outside, closely resembling a slight laugh.  
  
She snapped her head back, glaring out the bamboo window. "Why...who's that who dare lau..."  
  
Misao couldn't complete her sentence, her slipper slipped on the patch of water on the ground that dripped from her wet clothes. *thump* "Itaaa...!!"  
  
The amused sound turned into a rustling of leaves as someone rushed inside in house as fast as possible. Soujiro only skidded to a stop at the kitchen doorway. Slowly and cautiously, he knelt down next to her sprawled self, sitting in a very difficult and uncomfortable position. "Da...daijobu ka?"  
  
She wanted to scream out in his face a sarcastic 'what-do-you-think??' answer, but couldn't bring herself to talk. Besides her aching on her back and butt, she sprained an ankle too. Gritting her teeth in pain, she held herself from crying or screaming aloud. But she could manage showing her anger. "You were outside laughing away, weren't you?"  
  
He grinned inwardly at her little child-like tantrum, but showed an innocent face. "Maa, maa...let's not bother about that. I'll try to get you out of this fix first." Putting his hands under her arms, he tried to lift her gently, but a soft whine was heard, dragging her only made the sprain worse. He was thankful she didn't protest to him helping. Her face was already red from embarrassment.  
  
"Opps, I'm sorry." he released her down, and this time carefully carried her up with a hand under her legs and another supporting her back. The sprain was really painful but she sought hard not to show it. Unfortunately, it was pretty obvious. "It's ok, Misao-chan. I'll help you heal that, so don't cry, ok?" Soujiro consoled, with a sad expression as he felt bad for laughing at her moments ago. She tilted her head lower whilst he led her out of the kitchen, and out of the house, not into the bedroom. Misao let down her brave front, biting her lip and leaned onto his chest, all to put it plainly that indeed she is in pain, no use trying to hide it when he knows it already. There was a deep feeling of ease and excitedment, butterflies in the stomach and weakness in the heart. She delighted to be cared for, but he...he was different. He was comfortable to be with right from the start, there was no need to pretend to be someone else, nor be afraid he wouldn't like any part of her. Truly, she wasn't angry with him for petty reasons, since the past year she has grown and matured, slowly, but continuously. Misao begun to understand just what true love is, and see it in more than looks or character, but in the strong desire to make the other person contented, to be happy at the sight of him happy, and sad when he's upset. There exist a special bonding to read the other's mind, and know the other's feelings. Love wouldn't cut out as admiration or momentary crush, it takes effort, time, and what she really feels now as he laid her down on the soft grass with abundant fresh air around - understanding.  
  
To be able to understand when he does what he does, even if you may not know why.  
  
"See? The starts up there, I was looking at the them a while ago. Tonight is a cloudless night, so try focussing on them as I'll help you mend your ankle."  
  
...To have a desire to search into his heart, find out his inner self and true being...  
  
"Just lay back, I hope it wouldn't be too painful." he took out her socks and softly rubbed the bruised area.  
  
"Gomen ne, I...I was laughing at you. I have not laughed for a very long time...well...it seems in appropriate to laugh at that...I was...erm..."  
  
"Soujiro,"  
  
"H..Hai? I'm really sorry! Really!"  
  
"..."  
  
...To love, to do anything just to make him happy...  
  
"Arigatou." she whispered, and closed her eyes, giving herself to slumber under the twilight sky.  
  
**  
  
"Ka...Kamiya..." the man stuttered, taking a step into the lighted dojo and revealed his gruesome self. But that wasn't his focus, he forced his last words into a message. "Kamiya Dojo...DOOMED!!" Enishi jerked his head away from the elder he was talking to and rushed forward to the collapsing heap on the ground.  
  
"Ka...Kamiya.." he tried to reinforce his message again, only being silenced by the white-haired boy who caught his frail self.  
  
"Don't, don't say another word." Enishi quickly examined the casuality, whoose whole body was bathed in blood, hand still tightly clutching a sword. It seemed he went though a very fierce, but defeated battle. He was wounded beyond possible healing, as time has started to drain his life out. "Can someone please pass me bandages and medication? Please hurry!" Enishi asked aloud, his voice no trace of tension though his heart desperately wanted to save the man before him. His mind, however, were entertaining any horid thought he could think of at Kamiya Dojo. "Quick, he's bleeding too much!"  
  
"Go there now." the dojo-master said gently, behind him students with first- aid supplies. "We'll do our best to keep him stable and alive."  
  
A confirming nod, and Enishi rushed out as fast as can, into the darkness that enveloped the streets.  
  
**  
  
Kaoru tossed and turned in her room, shared with Yahiko sleeping in the other corner, though it was smaller, a little cramp, she was glad to be given a place to sleep. Outside, stray cats purred and dogs barked, with constant drips of water heard from a leak somewhere.  
  
"The dojo is better," she murmured to herself, starring at the ceiling that threatens to cave in anytime.  
  
Unsurprisingly, Yahiko was not perturbed, sound asleep and softly snoring. "but Jine pleaded me to stay, and much work is still not done..." she sighed. It's going to be a long day ahead...  
  
Closing her eyes she remembers his pleading face, eyes brimmed with tears, a broken voice that could break her heart. "Okachan, stay for tonight! Please!! Tomorrow morning I'll be a good boy, I promise!"  
  
"Demo, Jine" she sought to explain. "I need to go back, I don't...well, belong here."  
  
"Neither do I! Neither do anyone of us here!" he exclaimed, now with tear- brimmed eyes.  
  
That's when she gave in, thinking a day at Rakuninmura wouldn't be that bad, right?  
  
**  
  
Fire swallowed the place, curling it's licks around all corners and the structure seems to give in to the ground any moment. From the past the dojo had been destroyed several times, but the worst had come. It was about to collapse.  
  
"Kuso!!" Enishi cursed, seeing the inferno from a distance. His mind raced rapidly to try salvage the situation, but it seemed beyond help. The heat was too intense to go too near. His heart then suddenly skipped a beat.  
  
"KAORU!! KENSHIN!!" 


	15. All but a mystery

**Thank you all again for your wonderful support! Through the 14 chapters, I have been laying the foudation ^_^Now I finally have a plot! (a little late? hehee...) Here's a new twist to the story, a mystery! Hope it's enjoyable!**  
  
Chapter 15 : All but a mystery  
  
Kenshin woke up with a start, something in him sensed wrong somewhere. It was similar to the bad feeling he got the night before Saitoh arrived. But there was no visualisation, Kenshin hadn't a clue to what was amiss, just that something was definitely not right. 'I'll talk to Kaoru about this' he started to get up, when another voice told him not to. 'Sessha might get her worried again, and besides, it's the middle of the night now, sessha doesn't want to wake her up.' He cleared his mind and sat on the worn futon, provided by Rakuninmura's hospitable people. 'I'll let her know tomorrow morning.'  
  
"Kenshin," her ever-familiar voice rang sweetly in his ears. "is breakfast ready yet?" Kaoru strolled into the kitchen, where he was long awake, alert and busy. Softly, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head sleepily on his back. "Ohayo, koishii."  
  
"Ohayo Kaoru-dono." he replied with a smile she couldn't see, as well as a slight blush. "you don't seem to be awake yet, would you like some tea de gozaru ka?"  
  
Kaoru giggled, she knew Kenshin would never forgo the suffix 'dono', but she also knew he loved her with or without it.  
  
"That would be wonderful koishii." Kaoru released her hold and turned to face him, in surprise receiving a lovely peck on the cheek.  
  
"You look beautiful..." Kenshin was momentarily mesmerized.  
  
Their faces moved closer...  
  
"Ah! What's cooking and smelling so good?? It must not be Jo-chan in the kitchen."  
  
Their faces repelled instantly, even before touching.  
  
Sano poked his head in and got a flying spoon in his direction. "NANI?" he growled, then saw the angry face of Kaoru, grabbing another object to throw, which happens to be a knife. "Opps! I didn't know you were here. Excuse me, I gotta...er...run."  
  
"Baka Sano." she fumed, but instantaneously changed her expression at Kenshin's voice.  
  
"Maa maa, Kaoru-dono, I don't think Sano mean it that way." The rurouni smile worked wonders all the time.  
  
"Kenshin..." she looked longingly in his lilac eyes, and brought her face closer...  
  
"Kaoru..."  
  
"Where's the hot water? I need some hot water for Tsuba...MYSELF. Kenshin, do you know where's..."  
  
Yahiko walked in and immediately halted at the entrance, his face feeling the scorching heat of a hot kettle just millimetres away.  
  
"Here you go Yahiko-dono!" Kenshin's outstretched hand offered the kettle friendly, though not necessarily in a safe way.  
  
"A...arigatou Kenshin." Yahiko took it carefully and turned around, still wondering if Kenshin was just being nice, or something else.  
  
"Phew..." he blew a sigh of relief, thinking surely Yahiko would have noticed the red tint on his face. 'So close! so close!!' his mind screamed at him. "Kaoru-do..."  
  
Just as Kenshin turned around, warm lips pressed against his, passionately yet soft and gentle. He closed widened eyes and pulled the face closer to his, an arm around her waist. Kaoru felt her knees go weak the moment Kenshin took lead and embraced her deeper, nibbling on her lip and entangling his tongue on hers. Her breath was short and little, on par with her furious beating heart. But Kenshin was smooth and skilled, his exhale a warm touch to her face. After what seemed to be forever, they pulled away, each trying to catch their breaths.  
  
"Kenshin..." she whispered lovingly.  
  
"Oro? My food is getting burnt!! Oh no!" he rushed to the tempura now turning a nice shade of black.  
  
** "Please tell me where are we going!!" Misao laughed under her blindfold, and clutched his hand tighter. "We've been walking for ages!"  
  
"Almost there! Almost there!" he said in a tone both joyful and mischievous too.  
  
They walked to the end of gravel road and stopped, Soujiro adjusted her shoulders where she should face.  
  
"Ok, can I take it off now?"  
  
"Yes." he unwound the knots easily and slipped the cloth away from her eyes. "There."  
  
Makimachi Misao gaped at what she saw, what she thought her eyes were lying to her. In front among the field of green tea leaves all around was, clearly written with beautiful and colourful flowers - "Happy Birthday Misao". Daisies, sunflowers, periwinkles, roses, and even some she knew are poisonous stood out in the green background, with assorted petals scattered all over as a neat border. The beauty took her breath away.  
  
"I er...was pretty short of money, so er...since I saw this land was not occupied, so er..." he scratched the back of his head shyly, looking down at his feet. "Hope you like it."  
  
No answer.  
  
"Erm...the flowers were actually plucked along the way...of erm...near the next town...there are plenty of them there..."  
  
Still no answer.  
  
"I'm pretty short so I couldn't see the words clearly, so erm...sorry they are a little crooked."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Misao? Daijobu? I didn't mean for it to be so bad!" he stepped up from behind her to see her face, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks. "Ee! Misao, why are you crying? What's wrong? Are you allergic to flowers? Is it too many? Misao, daijobu?!!" Soujiro looked worriedly at her, biting his lower lip in apprehension.  
  
"Soujiro no baka..." she said softly, but enough for him to hear. "these are tears of joy, haven't you had them before?"  
  
He cocked his head to the side, and smiled a bright cheerful smile. "I'm glad you like it." Soujiro lowered to sit on the ground, and stared into space. "You scared me when you cried, I though something was upsetting you."  
  
Misao shook her head and sat down next to him. "I was really surprised and happy, no one did something this special to me before."  
  
"No one? All your Oniwabanshu friends?"  
  
"I had to seek out the joy, read between the lines to get it's meaning." she looked up into the sky as he head rested on his shoulders. Soujiro barely flinched. "Aoshi-sama made me happy too, but I had to translate his little moves, it was never direct, never like this."  
  
"Shininomori Aoshi, well, I think it's his nature to be erm...indirect with expressing his feelings. In the Juppongatana, it seemed he has a grudge with everyone, even Shishio-san."  
  
"Soujiro, the WHOLE Japan has a grudge with Shishio."  
  
"Oh?" he laughed. "I guess I almost forgotten that. We were all taught to fear him."  
  
"Aoishi-sama doesn't care what others think of him, he just follows his own heart. He makes me overwhelm with gladness every time he was with me, or just say a word to me."  
  
"Seems you are deeply in love with him." his shoulders tensed a little, but she didn't notice.  
  
"I don't know. I always wonder why he couldn't do the one thing that would please me. I don't demand it but I want it so much, just once would be enough."  
  
"What is it?" he turned to look at her.  
  
She faced him. "What you give me all the time. A smile."  
  
He gave her a blank look, which made her hurriedly turn her blushed face away. But Soujiro got up, and went to where she was facing. He put two fingers one on either side of his cheek and pushed it, as if pushing up a smile. "Don't I seem crazy if I look like this all the time?"  
  
It worked, she laughed. "Or this?" Soujiro pushed his cheeks higher and showed his brilliant set of white teeth. Misao bowled over with laughter.  
  
"No...no...this is better." she took his cheeks and pulled them hard!  
  
"Ouch! I'll disfigure your face too!" he reached forward and they both started a small fight over face pulling, and ran around the field in laughers, under the bright morning sun, where the flowers shone in full glory. Lost of the world around them, the two pranced around till a voice called and broke their fantasy.  
  
"So...Soujiro."  
  
He looked up, and stopped running.  
  
"Miko."  
  
Miko walked down the carriage, ran down the gravel road into the green field and threw her arms around him.  
  
**  
  
The busy day at Rakuninmura were interrupted on a hot afternoon. Police guards walked into a place they would rather leave alone. This, after all, was an area in town ordinary people wish to avoid, after rumours about it just gets worse and worse. But this time the cops came in on official business, looking for Kaoru Kamiya.  
  
"Busu! Someone's looking for you!" Yahiko shouted from the entrance, certified she could hear him, with added effects of his name-calling. She was bound to hear that.  
  
"Baka! What do you want?" Kaoru emerged from the makeshift dojo she use to hold her kenjutsu lessons. Little Jine followed along closely behind her.  
  
"Eh? Good afternoon." she dropped to a polite tone at the sight of the police. "How can I help you sirs?"  
  
"Kaoru Kamiya?" a tall man, most likely the captain of the group approached her, with a sad look in his eyes. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I have some important news concerning your...home."  
  
"What about it? What happened? Enishi-san should be guarding it."  
  
Kenshin came over at the word of the dojo. He was around the area doing laundry, and the bad feeling he had earlier had become strong again.  
  
"What's wrong minna-dono?"  
  
"The dojo of Kamiya..." he started, his voice dropped lower. "is completely burned collapsed to the ground just this morning."  
  
Kaoru kept silent and stared back in shock.  
  
"NANI?" Yahiko asked, disbelief from his eavesdrop. "What did you say?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm just here to inform you about it. We are investigating the cause of it."  
  
Sanosuke roughly grabbed the policeman's collar, and shouted in his face. "What do you mean the cause of it? What's to investigate?!"  
  
"The fire was not triggered by accident."  
  
Everyone fell silent.  
  
"It was deliberately caused."  
  
Kaoru, who couldn't take the blow any longer, blacked out and fell limp. 


	16. The Accused

**Gomen!!! I have left this piece of work alone for tooooooo long!  
Aiko-chan is very sorry to all readers. But now that I'm back on track, here's a short chapter, and the rest will follow up soon thereafter. Thanks  
for all who still supported!**  
  
story summary: The Kenshin-gumi live their lives in a presumed "happy ending" after the Jinchuu arc. However, ever since Yahiko bumbed into a worn out Enishi and Kaoru accepts him into her home, their lives take on an unexpected turn. Kenhin-gumi doing voluntary work in Rakuninmura? Enishi teaching at a dojo? And what's this? Soujiro is married??? Read on to find out more! Arigatou!  
  
Chapter 16: The Accused  
  
The sounds that once echoed through the dojo walls are now no more, what's left behind are the ashes that held so much memories. 'Kamiya Kasshin Ryu' the name plate that was hung proudly outside the cement gate are all that remains of identity. A burnt smell still lingered in the air, as did a worn man of his late twenties, hair of ghostly white, and hands behind his back, cuffed. He refused to budge, even when a group of policemen attempted to drag him away.  
  
No, not this. No...please no. Why? Why is all that I touch, destroyed? All that I care, gone? WHY?  
  
No more. I shall cause harm no more.  
  
**  
  
"Mother and Father are worried," Miko said quietly in the carriage, next to her loved one. She timidly reached a hand above him, and clutched his warm fingers. "I was too..." Soujiro tensed, but didn't show it. He knew this would come sooner or later, he knew happiness wouldn't last for long in his life. Most of all, he knew Misao was walking home alone.  
  
*flashback*  
  
"Miko"  
  
Miko walked down the carriage, ran down the gravel road into the green field and threw her arms around him.  
  
Soujiro didn't flinch, but stood in a daze. Soon, he felt his hakama go wet at the shoulders, Miko was weeping.  
  
"Please...please don't leave me again..." she whispered between tears, tears she had held within her for so long, now flow freely out to her loved one.  
  
"Miko-san..."  
  
She's crying...for me? Does she love me?  
  
He heart felt weak, and arms reached very slowly to wrap tightly her trembling body.  
  
What is love? Did someone ever love me before? Miko-san...she loves me.  
  
But he couldn't settle comfortably with that thought. There was a nudge deep inside that told him the story doesn't end yet, that there was still something that didn't feel right. He knew Misao was watching, in pure confusion. "Sou-kun...dare ga?" Misao stood in the distance, and forced a smile. She had a similar feeling of uncomfortableness, and couldn't point out what it was. A strong gust of wind blew through the fields, petals that laid in a design now flew all over, circling around and brushing faces and clothes.  
  
He released his embrace and turned to face Misao. Miko, aware of another's presence, took out her handkerchief from her kimono folds and wiped her tears dry, never letting go of her cling on his arm.  
  
"Misao," he started, softly but loud enough for her to hear. "this is Miko..."  
  
Miko bowed politely while Misao nodded her head.  
  
"...my wife."  
  
The winds picked up speed again, this time determined to erase all traces of recognisable words on the grass.  
  
** Kenshin carefully dabbed the forehead of Kaoru with a hot damp cloth, signs of stress and anguish present on both their faces. Sano and Yahiko sat on the other ends of the room, both silent not knowing what to say in such depressing times. None of them could hardly believe what happened.  
  
The Kamiya dojo, the home which her father built...collapsed.  
  
The training ground that helped train Yahiko to the standard he is now, endless hours of practice... only memories remain.  
  
The happy and sad times spend on the porch, waiting for Kenshin to  
come back, seeing Sano walk through the gate, Yahiko tread in with  
baskets of tofu....even the laundry area was not spared.  
  
"I promise I will get to the bottom of this matter, Kaoru." Kenshin whispered in her ear, with undescribable rage and determination burning deep within. If this was caused by someone, he swore by his life he or she will not get away with it. 


End file.
